Guts Over Fear-Take Two
by Tattoos-Make-Me-Happy
Summary: Ashlee McCall is coming home after 2 years, glowing green eyes and all. How will her family react to the wayward girl turning up on their doorstep? And what happens when things quickly start to change drastically? What happens when another face returns later on as well? How happy will Scott be to see she's befriended the resident brooding werewolf, Derek Hale? Read & review!
1. Coming Home

**Hey guys! Here's my Take Two I promised the readers of my fic 'Guts Over Fear'! I'm telling you now, i'm doing season 1 but taking my own spin on season 2, but Gerard will still come into it! I want to thank anyone who gave me ideas and have supported me during the wait! I really hope you enjoy as I worked really hard! Favourite, follow and review you beauties!**

 _Derek, 22._

 _Ashlee, 21._

 _Stiles, Scott, Lydia etc, 16._

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

It's been a few years since i've been here in Beacon Hills, since i've been home. The roads are still the same, surrounded with lush forest at almost every turn. I stop at a service station to fill up my car and buy myself a bottle of water and a packet of salted peanuts. I thank the cashier, getting back into my car. I continue down the road, using my knees to keep the steering wheel steady as I open my bag of peanuts. I glance at my mirrors, my eyes catching a beautiful camaro pulling out behind me. Don't get me wrong, i'd prefer my mustang over that any day, but I have to appreciate something as mechanically well put together as the Chevrolet camaro. I continue down the roads, cruising. One hand on the wheel lazily, one hand putting peanuts into my mouth. I frown a little when I realise this camaro's been tailing me since I left the gas station. They've had several chances to overtake me, put the horsepower stuffed under that hood to good use. But the driver hasn't. I brush it off, they might be out cruising like I am. I smile, seeing one of my favourite turn-offs. The one that goes down to the back roads of Beacon Hills, the dirt roads. I grin, turning down it. I narrow my eyes when the camaro turns down too.Okay..they might be following me. I come my favourite long straight of dirt road. I slow to a stop. It's no suprise when the black camaro pulls up beside me, stopping right alongside me. I look over at the car, the tinted window coming down. A dark haired man with a gorgeous stubbled face, thick eyebrows and green eyes is looking at me. Wow..if he hadn't have been following me and smelt the way he does, I might actually attempt to make conversation. My window's already down so I just stare blankly the man.

"Can I help you?" I ask flippantly.

"Who are you?" he asks me, voice strong.

"Doesn't matter who I am wolf boy" I say. His eyes stay steady on me but his heart picks up in the slightest. "I know you've been following me for awhile. And you reek of dog" I tell him, still looking right at him.

"What are you?" he asks. I don't answer, just keep staring at the attractive man. "Tell me what and who you are" he growls, eyes turning blue. I flash mine green at him. Again, his eyes stay steady but heart picks up a little. "What the hell are you?" he asks again.

"This dirt road is exactly a quater" I say, turning back to look down the dirt stretch. This guy looks from me to the road and back at me again.

"You want me to race you?" he asks me, confused.

"If you win, i'll tell you who I am and what I am, no being difficult, i'll just tell you" I say. I turn to him, seeing he's interested. "But when I win, you tell me who you are. No difficulties, you just tell me" I say. I can tell he's a wolf, i'd know that smell anywhere. There were a couple wolves in my old pack. A couple werecoyotes too. Both species are quite familiar, mine's more different.

"When _you_ win" he says, chuckling to himself. He revvs his camaro. I revv my mustang, locking eyes with the man. "1970 mustang. By sound alone, i'm assuming it's a 429 boss engine" he says. I smile at him, impressed. Alot of people can talk the ponycar talk but not walk the walk. "That's a rare car. How'd you manage to get your hands on one?"

"A knew a few people" I say vaguely. "Not such the useless dog as I thought" I say half-heartedly, not really meaning it. "Chevy Camaro. Definitely an SS" I say, talking about his car. "5th gen, 2010"

"You're right" he says, looking a little impressed himself.

"3 revvs, then i'm going for it" I tell him, looking at him. I raise my eyebrow slightly in challenge, taunting him to agree. If i'm coming back home, I want to know who this wolf is, and if he's a danger to me or my family.

"Looks like I am too" he says. I bring one hand to the top of my steering wheel, one to my stickshift. He nods. First revv. I narrow my eyes down the road. Second revv. Quater mile. Me and the road. Noone else. No wolf in a camaro. Just me. Just the road. That's all that matters. Third revv. Tires flick up dirt as we both take off. 2nd gear. 3rd. 4th. My 429 boss engine roars over the sound of his SS V8 engine. I smirk as I start to pass him. I'm a little suprised when he manages to catch up, face set hard. Looks like he wants answers himself. He must be from around here, must want to know who and what supernatural creature is stepping into his territory. The flick of red and blue lights from behind me and the whistle of the siren as I pass the hidden cop car has me cringing. I turn at look at the man beside me. He nods for me to follow him. Follow a wolf or get pulled over? I've done stupider things. I follow the wolf, swinging out and taking off down another dirt road.

"You got a plan?" I call out to the wolf, knowing he'll hear me.

"Yeah" he says. "Outrun them" he smirks, speeding past me. I put my foot to the floor, catching up to him. It's been awhile since I pushed my baby like this. By the loud roar of the engine, she likes it, I do too. I hear another siren behind us. We fly around another corner, only to be cut off. We both skid to a stop, blocked between two cop cars.

"Shit" I cuss. The dust settles and I hear a car door open. The man from the first police cruiser walks over to the camaro, looking inside. The officer sighs.

"I'll take care of this, you boys head back to the station" the man tells the other officers. I sigh in relief when they leave. I move to take off again, I can outrun one car. "Ashlee McCall, don't you dare move. You're in big trouble young lady" the man says. The wolf turns to me with wide eyes. Wait..I know that voice, and I know that threat. The officer turns around to face me, shaking his head in disappointment.

"John!" I yelp, diving out of the car.

"Ash, I just said-" I cut him off by hugging him tightly. He sighs and hugs me back. "I missed you kid" he smiles. We pull back and I grin widely at him.

"Damn, I missed you John" I smile. "Hey, you think you could maybe..let me off?" I ask him, giving him wide innocent eyes.

"Ash.." he sighs.

"It was that dick's fault" I say, pointing at the wolf.

"Derek's fault?" John asks.

"Who's Derek?" I ask.

"He's Derek" John tells me. This wolf, Derek, gets out, walking over to us. "You know him?" John asks me. I burrow my eyebrows, studying this Derek man. I shake my head.

"Not until 10 minutes ago" I say.

"Wait..you're the one Scott and Stiles talk about" Derek says. I turn to him, suprised he knows them. "You're Scott's older sister, aren't you?" Derek realises.

"How do you know my brother?" I ask him, not answering his question but by my question he can tell it's true.

"Hold on, we don't have time for this, you're both in trouble" John says.

"What? I need answers from this guy. You can't arrest me" I whine.

"Answers from me? I need answers from you, I would have won-" Derek starts.

"You? Win? Please" I scoff.

"Hey!" John says loudly. We both look at him. "2 other officers saw and chased you down, I have to take you in" John says.

"What? No!" I object.

"Ashlee, you're coming with me" John says. I shake my head stubbornly. "Do you want me to call your mother?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. I groan in frustration.

"No" I mumble. "They don't know i'm back yet. I'll do whatever, just don't tell her" I sigh. I've heard rumours of a new werewolf up and comer, the one and only Scott McCall. My brother. I had to come home, I have to know he's okay. Was I happy when I found out? Hell no. But I need to know he's okay so i'm putting that aside for now. Let's just hope my family will let me in the door first.

"Thank you. Now both of you, lock up your cars and come with me" John says. I go over to my car. I reach in and grab my pack of peanuts, locking my car behind me. Argh, I hate to leave it here. It's a nice enough town, i'm sure it'll be fine. If it's not..the outcome won't be nice for the person that touched my car. "Come on, I don't have all day" John says. I go over to the cruiser, getting in the backseat. I know this drill already. Derek gets in beside me, glaring in my direction. John gets in the front, bringing the car to life. He turns around and looks at us. I give him an innocent smile. He sighs, shaking his head again before turning back to the road and driving towards the station. Dammit.

..

Well..this is strange. Derek and I sit in holding cells, the cells side by side. Apparently, starting a cop chase is enough to get us arrested for the night. I wish someone told me that before I did it. John tells us we're lucky we got off this easy. It's weirdly silent. Derek and I are the only ones in this cell block. I'm sitting on the floor, eating the remainder of my peanuts. John let me sneak them in. He's stricter with me than he used to be when i'd get in trouble with the law but he's not too strict, obviously. I look over at the wolf, finding him sitting on the bed, legs stretched out and ankles crossed. His got his arms crossed over his chest, staring blankly at the wall.

"Hey" I say. He turns his head to look at me, annoyed. "It's Derek, right?"

"Yeah" he nods.

"How do you know Scott?" I ask him.

"Well _Ashlee_ , how about you tell me what are you first?" he asks. We glare at each other. I turn away from him, sighing. And it's silent again, for a good 5 minutes. I start tapping my fingers on the bars. From the corner of my eyes, I see Derek glance at me. I don't turn to him, I just keep tapping. He sighs, even more annoyed now. Good. I keep it up, enjoying his un-enjoyment. "We're sort of pack" he finally cracks. I turn back to him, stopping the tapping. "Sort of..not really. The alpha bit him, he's helping me find him. We don't know who he is when he's human" Derek tells me. I sigh. "What?" he asks.

"I heard rumours..about Scott being bitten. I was hoping it wasn't true, I knew deep down it was. I guess I just didn't want to believe it" I say. "Just tell me he's okay"

"He's coping, alot better than most would" Derek tells me. I nod, frowing. I find Derek's still looking at me.

"What?" I ask him, probably harsher than I should have.

"Are you going to answer my question now?" he asks. I sigh angerily, flashing my eyes at the wolf out of frustration. "Well?" he pushes, not phased by my half-shift.

"They call us..they call us the Nagual people" I tell him. Derek sits up, eyes narrowing at me.

"Aztec werejaguars?" he asks.

"Yeah" I say.

"Are you serious?" he asks.

"Yes" I say harshly. "I think i'd know what i've been for the past couple years"

"Can you..can you show me?" he asks, suprising me. "My mother told me about them, you. I've never come across one before" he says. "So could you? Show me?" he asks.

"Come on Derek, at least buy me dinner first" I tease. When he keeps watching me, I roll my eyes. I sigh and put my bag of peanuts on the bed. I stand up, taking a deep breath. It's my eyes first, the fangs and claws coming out next. A jaguar pattern comes down the sides of my chest and my shoulders. I've heard myths that the Nagual people's skin turns black when they shift and their faces are spotted with pattern. Not true. We get a strip of jaguar spots down the sides of our chests and shoulders and that's the only skin transformation. Derek's eyes widen a little. Our fangs are different to a wolves', our k-nines are sharper than that of a wolves but shorter. Our claws are fully black unlike the wolves. Derek's eyes flick all over me, studying. He inhales, taking in the scent and screwing his face up. Canines don't particularly like the smell of feline, same thing vice versa. "Stop that" I say, turning around and shifting back. I sit down in the far corner, facing away from him, leaning my head againist the bars.

"How'd you get like this?" he asks.

"I was travelling" I start, not facing the man. "And I was doing it alone. To clear my head, all the usual 'find yourself' crap all typical girls seem to go through" I say. "I made the mistake of entering an abandoned church called La Iglesia in Mexico" I tell him. "Torn apart by an earthquake. Turns out, it wasn't as abandoned as I thought"

"You walked into their den.. and their alpha bit you?" he guesses. I nod. "Well..Scott will be happy to see you. He talks about you sometimes, he misses you" Derek says. I don't know what exactly it was, but once he said that, something in me just snapped.

"And how the hell would you know?" I ask, turning to face the man. "You don't know me, you don't know my brother, you don't know my family. You don't know what you're talking about" I snap. I sigh sadly, leaning againist the bars, knees up. I didn't leave Beacon Hills on the best terms with my family. My father wasn't happy at all, not that he ever was happy with me, called me a waste of his time. My mother was in tears, stressed and over-worked with a 2 year old. Scott, only 14, cried and cried and begged me to stay but still I left. I left my family behind, for 2 years. I was so selfish. I don't blame them if they turn me around and send me on my way. I feel tears prick my eyes, quickly wiping them away. I'm not going to let myself cry in a holding cell. Especially not in front of a wolf. It's not going to happen. I hope they don't do that though, turn me away. I need to make ammends with them. I need to bury the hatchet. I love and miss my family. If they want to kick me to the curb after that..then i'll go. I owe them that much.

..

..

 **How'd you like the first chapter? Favourite, follow and review!**


	2. Partners In Crime

**Shout out to DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, Serena Sterling (Is that you Shreya?), Bree and Tesla424 for reviewing! After the positive reviews I wanted to update nice and quick for you :) I'm so glag you guys ar eliking my start because I think it just gets better and hope you'll think the same! As for Derek in season 2, there will be conflict when he ends up being the one that kills Peter but i'm taking a spin on season 2 and let's just say they won't hate him forever, he steps up quite abit in more than one way :) I'm still wondering if I should have Isaac crushing after Ash and Derek getting a little jealous like I did in the last one, hmm, yes or no? Love that McDonald's comment ;) Enjoy chapter 2!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I hear the main doors open. I sigh, keeping my head in my hands. The person walks over to my cell and stops. I grit my teeth. I am not in the mood to talk to an officer.

"Can you just piss off? Leave me to do my overnighter in peace" I snap.

"Wow, you haven't changed Ash" the voice chuckles. I look up at that voice.

"Scott?" I ask the crooked-chinned, brown eyed male.

"Hey Ash" he smiles.

"Look how grown up you are" I say, standing up, smiling widely at him. He attempts to hug me through the bars, it's awkward but at least it's something.

"God I missed you so much" he sighs contently. I pull away from him, looking at him. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"Did you really?" I ask him quietly.

"Of course I did, we all did" Scott says. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because..because I don't deserve it" I whisper lowly. "Scott, i'm so sorry"

"Ash..don't say that" Scott says. "Yeah, it was hard when you left..but we still missed you" he says. "We still.." he trails off, looking past me. It falls quiet when he realises we're not the only ones in here. "Is he your jail buddy?" Scott asks, nodding at Derek.

"More like partner in crime" I say with a small upturn of my lips. Scott steps up to the bars, talking really quietly.

"He isn't to be trusted Ash, he's dangerous" he says. "Be careful"

"I know what he is. I know what you are" I say. His eyes widen a little.

"How?" he asks. I sigh, here we go again. I shift, eyes first, until i'm fully shifted. "What the.." he trails off, eyes wide with shock.

"I came back because I heard you'd been bitten. I needed to know you were okay, that you were safe" I say, shifting back.

"Ash..what the hell are you?" he asks, still in shock.

"Argh. Do I have to go through this again?" I ask, groaning. Scott's still looking at me for an answer. "Werejaguar" I say.

"Werejag..what?!" Scott says. "I didn't even know they existed"

"Well neither did I. I didn't know werewolves existed either" I chuckle.

"So how'd you end up here?" he asks.

"Had that little puppy tailing me-" I start.

"Kitten" Derek shoots back. I grin to myself. Scott raises an eyebrow.

"Decided it'd be easier to race him for the answers we both wanted and.." I trail off, motioning around my cell.

"You've been here for 2 seconds and you're already in prison" Scott sighs. "And for street racing? Come on Ash, you know better, this has happened before" he reminds me. Yeah, it has..good times.

"Not prison, holding cell" I correct, grinning.

"Scott! Time's up son!" John calls down the hall.

"Okay" Scott nods. "When you're let out, come home alright? Anything that happened before..forget it, all of it. We want you to come home. I won't tell Mum you're here, we'll keep it between us and i'll tell John to keep it to himself too. But promise me, you'll come home tomorrow" he says.

"I will, of course I will" I smile softly.

"Okay, I should go. I love you Ash" he says.

"Love you too Scotty. Now go on, i'll see you tomorrow" I say. Scott smiles and starts walking out. I'm so glad he forgives me, that he wants me to come home. He stops beside Derek's cell. The two males lock eyes. I grab my bag of peanuts, watching both males closely.

"Derek" Scott says with a glare.

"Scott" Derek says. Then Scott walks out. Derek shakes his head and turns to find me looking at him. "What?" he asks. I walk over so i'm standing in front of him, bars between us. He tilts his head a little, meeting my eyes before walking up to me. I offer the bag of peanuts out to him. He looks from me to the bag and back up to me again. He reaches into the bag, taking some, nodding his thanks. "John let you have them in here?" he asks.

"Yeah" I smile. "We go way back" I tell him. He nods, the two of us eating in silence. "Hey, what I said earlier..I..sorry" I apologise, throwing a few peanuts in my mouth.

"Something tells me you don't apologise alot" Derek says.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"Because that was a terrible apology" he says, making me grin a little. I've never really been one for apologising. Not unless I know I was in the wrong. Snapping on him like I did back there, that was wrong. He's was only trying to make me feel better, and I shot him down.

"At least i'm trying to make conversation" I say.

"Okay" he nods. "What was Scott talking about? What happened before you left?" he asks curiously. My grin drops.

"N-no, not that" I say, shaking my head. He looks me in the eye, he looks like he's trying to read me. Yeah, good luck with that. Trying to read me is like trying to dechipher a code. It's going to take alot more than a look to crack those secrets.

"Well I don't know anything else about you" he says. Check and mate. Me-1, Derek-0. "I don't know what we're supposed to talk about" Derek shrugs.

"What about your car?" I come up with. "When'd you get it?" I ask him.

"It was passed down to me not that long ago" he says. I nod, leaning my head againist the bars. "From my older sister" he says. "She..passed away recently" he says.

"Oh. Sorry..I didn't mean to bring that up" I say, frowning a little, I can't even do this right.

"It's okay" he says. "What about your's?" he asks.

"I made some friends when I was staying in Michigan when I first started travelling. They all had muscle cars and I found myself with the guys in the garage alot. One of them told me he was able to get his hands on a rare ponycar if I was willing to pay. I couldn't resist" I tell him. "And when I saw it..the money didn't matter. It's like..it's hard to explain. It was like that whole love at first sight thing that people talk about. But with my car" I say.

"You fell in love with your car at first sight" Derek repeats, amused by my choice of words.

"It's not as stupid as it sounds" I say. "I just..I spent the rest of my travels in my car"

"That guy, did he illegally get that car for you?" Derek asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? Do something illegal?" I ask in mock shock. "No way"

"So Scott didn't just bring up a previous street racing offense?" he asks knowingly.

"Pffft..no. I've never been in trouble with the law before" I lie. I've got a handful of offences, i'm a good citizen now though..kind of. Let's just say i'm lucky the McCall's surrogant Dad is the Shrieff.

"I know Scott and Stiles well enough to know that's bullshit" Derek says. I grin.

"No, it was fully legitimate" I assure him. "But you're definitely right about Scott and Stiles" I say. "However.."

"I was waiting for that" he says.

"The dealer option six-pack intake and carburetors install..that may have been a little illegal" I say, showing him with my fingers, with the smallest of gaps between my thumb and forefinger.

"Only like 2 or 3 of those were ever installed" Derek says. I'm impressed he knows that.

"I know" I grin. "And I have one of them" I say proudly.

"How in the hell did you manage that?" he asks.

"Let's just say mine and the mechanic's relationship was _very_ short-lived" I say, avoiding Derek's eyes. It wasn't my proudest moment but he said if he could take me out to dinner, he'd install one, free of charge.

"Oh. That explains alot" Derek says, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, that's not what I meant you asshole" I say half-heartedly. "We went out to dinner, that's all, I even left town afterwards. No _special favours_. But it was a magical evening" I say sarcastically.

"I'm sure it was" Derek says. I chuckle.

"Well, the dealer's pack I got definitely was" I grin. The sides of Derek's lips unturn a little. I yawn. "I'm turning in, keep it down" I say, moving to lay down on the bed.

"And if I don't?" he pushes. I hold back a grin, i'm not used to having people push back like he is. I got to admit, I like the challenge.

"I'll rub your belly until you fall asleep like the good puppy you are" I coo. Derek scoffs and lays down on his own bed.

"It'd take a bowl of milk to put you to sleep" Derek sneers. "Like the good kitten you are" he says sarcastically. I yawn again.

"If I wasn't so tired, i'd claw your eyes out like the 'good kitten I am'" I threaten half-heartedly.

"Go to sleep"

"Don't tell me what to do"

"God, just go to sleep the both of you" John says, suddenly at the doors. "When you're up, i'll drive you to your cars. One more stunt like that and you'll both be back here for alot longer than a night and, we'll have both your cars impounded-"

"No! John, no!" I whine.

"Then don't do it again, alright?"

"Yeah..fine. As long as he doesn't-"

"Ash. I don't care if he does it again, I care if you do it again" John says. A little harsh but he is like a Dad to me so i'm not that suprised.

"Oh" I say, feeling awkward. "I won't" I say.

"Okay, light's are going out. See you both bright and early"

"Night John!" I call out.

"Goodnight" he says, locking the doors. The lights go out.

"Why does everyone seem to have something againist you?" I whisper to Derek.

"Go to sleep" he sighs. I frown, I feel bad for the guy. He can't be that bad, right? It's quiet after that. Jeez..sleep does not find me easy.

..

My head's heavy, eyes are sore, and i'm friggin' tired. I barely slept last night, I don't think Derek did either. It's weirdly quiet as John drives us to our cars.

"John, can I sit in the front?" I ask him through the grate dividing the front and back seats of his police cruiser.

"No. You're a criminal until I let you out" he says, amused.

"Then let me out, i'm not a criminal" I say. Derek scoffs. "Hey dick, shut up" I say, turning to the man.

"That's enough Ashlee" John sighs. I glare at Derek, the older male flashing his eyes at me. John pulls up beside our cars. He gets out and unlocks the doors, letting us out.

"Thank you" I say, hugging John tightly.

"It's okay, no more of this alright? I told Scott i'd keep this a secret but next time, I will call your mother" John warns.

"Okay. No more racing, got it" I smile.

"No more criminal activity" John corrects, tickling my side. I giggle, squirming away from him. "Okay?"

"Okay" I nod with a smile.

"I expect to catch up with you as well"

"Of course" I nod. He smiles and turns to go for his car again. "Have a safe drive" I grin.

"You too. Under the speed limit, both of you" John says, getting into his cruiser. He beeps as he drives off.

"Wow" Derek says. I turn to him. "The Shrieff sure treats you special, like your his own" Derek says.

"Well..my Dad's not around so I sort of am his own, you know?" I say, leaning againist my car. Derek looks up at me, seeing i'm serious. He leans againist his car too. "Scott hasn't told you?" I guess.

"Like you saw, we have a common enemy, we're not friends" he says.

"But we are?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"More like partners in crime" he says and I smile. "But I have seen how Scott and Stiles are attached at the hip so it's not hard to believe" he says. I nod. He doesn't move to leave. He's looking at me like he wants to say anything, but he doesn't.

"Something on your mind?" I ask him.

"Mmm, maybe" he says.

"Are you always this friggin' mysterious?" I ask him. He laughs under his breath. "Come on, out with it. I don't got all day dude" I say.

"I don't think you were being honest last night" he says.

"Excuse me?" I ask, confused.

"You're not like every other girl like you seem to think you are" he states. He's not being rude but I still find myself feeling a little defensive.

"What does that mean?"

"Well for one, you can shapeshift into a werejaguar" he says, cracking a grin. I chuckle. "And you're no Daddy's girl either" he says carefully, gauging my reaction to the subject. "So why bullshit?" he asks.

"Uh..yeah..no, i'm not. Quite the opposite actually. As for bullshitting, well..I do alot of things I can't really explain" I shrug. "My father always said.." I trail off, not sure why i'm about to tell this stranger this. I don't know why. And it annoys me that I don't know why. "He always said I was..i'm sorry, I have to go" I say, unable to finish the sentence. I quickly look away from the man, getting into my car.

"I shouldn't have said anything" he says. I look out my window at him. I bite my lip nervously, meeting his eyes again. The rest of the sentence feels heavy on my tongue as Derek looks at me with that intense gaze of his.

"It's okay" I say, taking a deep breath. I don't want him to feel like he stepped over a line, I brought my father up first. It's human nature to be curious, it's even worse for a wild animal. "Let's just say..I was never worth his time" I tell him. Derek frowns at me and I begin to feel far too vulnerable for my liking. So I do what I do best, I take off, flicking dirt up as I drive down the road, heading for my old house.

..

..

 **Weird relationship between them..I like it. Favourite, follow and review!**


	3. Reconnecting With Family

**Shout out to DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, aaronhotchnerlove, Serena Sterling and wolfgirl442 for reviewing! Firstly, you guys are seriously so supportive and kind, thank you :) A yes to the one-sided Isaac/Ashlee flirting and jealous Derek, awesome! Aaron, i'm not sure, that hasn't come up as i've been writing future chapters but i'll think about it :) Serena, yay, I knew it was you Shreya, i'm glad you've favourited and can assure you I don't want you to die :P Wolfgirl, i'm glad you like it :) Enjoy chapter 3 you beauties!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I knock nervously on the door of the McCall house.

"Morning.." my Mum trails off when she opens the door to see me. I knew she'd be the one to answer, Scott should be at school by now.

"Uh..hi" I say awkwardly. It's silent for a long moment. I'm completely suprised when she rushes forward, hugging me. "Thank god" I say, hugging her back tightly.

"My baby, I missed you so much" she says, hugging me tighter.

"I missed you too Mum" I say, feeling tears well in my eyes.

"Come in, come in, we've got catching up to do" she smiles, eyes watery too as she ushers me inside. I can't put into words how thankful I am that she didn't tell me to get off her property.

..

"Sounds like you had alot of fun" Mum smiles softly. We're sitting at the dinner table, having a coffee together. I told her about my trip, leaving out the part about the whole werejaguar thing. She tells me how good work's going, how proud she is of Scott and how excited he is now that he's made first line in la crosse. He's also got a girlfriend, her name's Allison Argent, sounds pretty. She tells me how Tyler's doing, how he's living with Dad full time now but he's doing really well.

"It was a good trip" I say. "But I missed you guys so much. I'm sorry for leaving..for walking out the way I did. I was never supposed to-"

"Ash sweetie, breath" Mum says. I nod, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry" I say.

"You're forgiven" Mum says.

"No, you gotta yell or swear, call me a bitch, hit me-"

"I'm not doing any of that. I'm certainly not going to hit you" she says. "Can I just be happy my baby girl's come home?" she asks me. I smile softly.

"Yeah" I say. She stands up and hugs around my shoulders.

"I have to go to work but feel free to put your stuff back upstairs" she says.

"Wait..you want me to stay?" I ask her. She turns around.

"Yes. I kept your room the way it was for a reason" she says.

"You kept my room?" I ask.

"Stop sounding so suprised or I will turn it into an office" she threatens playfully.

"Thank you so much. Hey, i'm taking us all out to dinner tonight, alright? On me" I say.

"Sweetie, you don't need to apologise, it's okay. We all understand" she says.

"Think of it as a thank you then" I say. She rolls her eyes fondly, nodding. "I'll see you tonight then" I say.

"Okay Ash, i'll see you tonight"

..

I drive up to the school as the kids are all running out. I pull up and get out, spotting Scott. He runs over, Stiles coming with him.

"Ash!" Stiles says, hugging me. I hug him back tightly. "Scott said you were back"

"I am" I assure him.

"What the hell?" Stiles says, looking past me. We turn around and see a very sick looking Derek, stumbling through the carpark. "This guy's everywhere" Stiles says.

"You know?" I ask him.

"Yes, and werejaguar, really Ash? Of all things?" Stiles says. I go say something but see Derek fall to the concrete. Stiles must know Scott's situation then. Good, he needs someone like Stiles, he could use the support.

"Crap" I say. I run over.

"Ash! Wait!" Scott yells. The two follow me. Scott goes to the car Derek just fell in front of and starts talking to the pretty brown-haired girl inside.

"Derek?" I ask, helping him sit up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Stiles asks him.

"I was shot" he says, breathing painfully.

"Why aren't you healing?" I ask him.

"It was a different kind of bullet" Derek says.

"A silver bullet?" Stiles asks.

"No you idiot" Derek snaps. I take a deep breath, eyes flaring up green for a second when I identify the nostril-stinging smell.

"It's wolfsbane. Derek, get up" I say, grabbing his arm.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Stiles asks.

"Taking him with me" I tell him. "And you're coming too" I say, not giving him an option. He goes to object. "Stiles, please" I say. He sighs and nods. We pull Derek to his feet, bringing an arm each around our shoulders so we can help him walk. Scott turns to us, shaking his head.

"Ash, no" Scott says.

"Ashlee? Your sister Ashlee?" the pretty girl asks. She gets out of the car, coming over. "Hi, i'm Allison" she smiles.

"Hey, yeah, i'm Scott's sister. Listen, it was really nice to meet you but my..friend isn't feeling well at all so I need to get him to the hospital" I say, starting to walk away. "But it was nice to finally meet my brother's pretty girlfriend!" I call over my shoulder, not wanting to be rude but needing to get Derek out of here. "Stiles, get in the back with him-"

"What?! No!"

"Noone is driving my car but me" I say.

"Don't leave me with that idiot" Derek says, breath coming out shorter. I groan in frustration. I hand my keys to Stiles. He looks down at them, beyond surpised.

"One scratch and you're dead Stiles, I swear to god" I say. I heave Derek into the backseat, Stiles getting in the driver's seat. He smiles widely at the roar of the engine. He begins driving.

"It's really good to see you again Ash" Stiles says.

"You too. You've grown up alot. I think I even see a little muscle on those lanky arms" I tease.

"A little?" Stiles grins. I laugh, my heart warming at being able to joke around with Stiles like this again. Derek winces in pain. I look at him, frowning.

"What do we have to do?" I ask Derek. "Do you have a cure somewhere? Something we can stick you with to..stop you from dying?"

"No. Have you never been shot with a wolfsbane bullet before?" he asks. I shake my head. "The cure is burning the gunpower of the same wolfsbane bullet. It has to be inserted into the wound" he says.

"Sounds like fun" I say sarcastically. Derek gives me the most sarcastic smile i've ever seen.

"Maybe you should take notes" he sneers.

"Why would I do that? I'm not getting shot because i'm not as stupid as you" I say. "Idiot"

"Feline" he says.

"Canine!" I shoot back.

"Hey, hey, calm down back there-" Stiles says.

"Shut up Stiles" we both say. A weird silence comes over the car.

"Don't bleed on my seats jackass" I say to Derek, moving his arm. He hisses in pain but I ignore it. He gives me a dirty look. "It's real leather dude, keep your dog blood off it" I say.

"Who knew Scott had such a bitch for a sister?" Derek mutters, glaring at me. I turn to him with raised eyebrows. Stiles must have heard too because he glances back at us in suprise.

"Not the smartest thing you've ever done Derek" Stiles says. "In fact, the stupidest thing you've ever done comes to mind" I chuckle before digging my thumb into his bullet wound. Derek growls in pain, flashing his eyes at me.

"Stop" he grounds out. I let him go.

"If you ever call me that again, i'll show you exactly how this _bitch_ would treat your wound, do you understand?" I threaten. Derek keeps looking at me. I raise my eyebrows in challenge.

"I'd apologise if I were you" Stiles says from the front seat. Derek sighs.

"Sorry" he mutters. I smile.

"Good dog" I say, petting his hair. He tries to keep glaring but I can see his lips twitching.

"Text Scott, tell him he has to find the bullet" Derek says.

"Wait, Scott? How's he going to get it? He's going over to Allison's?"

"Have you told her anything?" Derek asks Stiles with a defeated sigh.

"This is the first time i've seen her in 2 years" Stiles defends. "Sorry Derek but you dying isn't our most important topic" Stiles says sarcastically. I smile to myself. The boy got alot sassier since i've been gone too, he's always been sarcastic. Derek turns back to me, face screwing up with pain.

"Allison, she's an Argent" he says.

"I know" I say.

"Argent. The hunter family of Beacon Hills. Any of this sound familiar?" he asks.

"I was bitten in Mexico, how the hell would I know about..wait. WAIT. Are you saying my brother is going to a hunter's house?! He's dating a friggin' hunter?!" I ask him, starting to panic.

"Yes. But he can get the bullet, he'll be fine. Text him, tell him to get the bullet" Derek says. I nod, pulling out my phone quickly.

 _Scott, firstly you're an idiot for getting involved with a hunter. Are you crazy? Derek needs you to find the bullet, the same bullet he was shot with. -Ash_

 _How are I supposed to do that? -Scott_

 _She's with them. Come on Scott. -Ash_

 _Fine, i'll try but no promises. -Scott_

 _Thank you. And be careful. -Ash_

"He's going to try get the bullet" I tell Derek.

" _Try_?" he repeats.

"Did I stutter?" I ask the wolf harshly. He glares at me. "Give me your hand" I say.

"No, no hands. Don't touch his hands, don't touch _anything_ of his" I cringe at how wrong that sounded. "No touching, no physical contact" Stiles says, glancing back at us and then back at the road.

"Give me your hand" I ground out. Derek holds his other hand out to me. I take it, taking some of his pain. I pull back, breathing heavily when it becomes too much.

"Thank you" Derek says. I nod, feeling the pain slowly dispell from my body. Derek grunts in pain and I glance at him nervously. I send Scott another text.

 _Scott, did you find it yet? -Ash_

 _Not yet, need more time. -Scott_

I sigh.

"He needs more time" I tell Derek.

"By the looks of him and that disgusting smell, we don't have much more time Ash" Stiles says, glancing back at us again. I look down at Derek again. He's right. He's fading. Fast.

..

..

 **Favourite, follow and review!**


	4. Last Resort

**You guys are crazy supportive! Honestly! I couldn't believe it when I came on and saw how many reviews last chapter got! Thank you all so much 3 Shout out to Serena Sterling, Faye Cullen-Fraser, momentum123, TheMorbidGal and Tesla424 for reviewing! I am SO glad you guys like Ashlee's character, especially her sassy, hard-headedness because that's a huge part of who she is! I also love you guys like her's and Derek's relationship too because they're like that alot, but they will have their more touchy moments too of course. Derek likes that Ashlee pushes back and she likes that he challenges her with each other's wit so expect more! Argh! I love you all, seriously! Such amazingly kind words that makes me want to update 10 times a day! But for now, here's chapter 4! ENJOY :D**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I try to ring Scott but his phone's off.

"Damn" I sigh.

"Hold on, we're almost there" Stiles says to Derek.

"Almost where?" he asks.

"Your house" Stiles says like it's obvious.

"No, you can't take me there" Derek objects.

"I can't take you to your own house?" Stiles asks him.

"Not when I can't protect myself" he says. Stiles quickly pulls over.

"What if Scott can't get your magic bullet, huh? Are you dying?" Stiles asks, turning to look at Derek.

"No, I have a last resort" he says.

"What last resort?" Stiles asks. Derek pulls his sleeve over the bullet wound. That's gross. "Oh my god! What is that? Is it contagious? Ash, don't touch him. Actually, Derek you should just get out" Stiles says.

"Start the car" Derek says. "Now"

"I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look right now" Stiles says. I laugh when he says bark, making Derek's head snap to me, glaring. "In fact, I think if I wanted to I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead" Stiles says. I raise an impressed eyebrow at Stiles.

"Start the car" Derek says again. "Or i'm going to rip your throat out. With my teeth" he threatens, flashing his fangs at Stiles. Stiles sighs and starts the car again.

..

My phone buzzes and I pull it out.

 _Does Aconit napel bleu nordique mean anything to you? -Scott_

I ring Scott straight away. He answers immediantly.

"It's nordic blue monkshood. It's a rare form of wolfsbane. Get that bullet to us as fast as you can" I tell Scott.

"Okay, take him to the animal clinic, spare key's under the mat" Scott says.

"Okay, be careful. Call if they do anything to you, anything at all"

"I will, I have to go" Scott says before hanging up.

"Scott found the bullet. He'll meet us at Deaton's" I tell Stiles. I turn to look at Derek. "Hey. You still with me?" I ask the male, putting my hand to his head. He's burning up. Derek nods, face screwing up in pain. "Good, just hold on. Scott's coming" I assure him. He nods again, slowly looking worse and worse.

..

I heave Derek into the animal clinic. This guy is really heavy. Stiles gets the lights and Derek strips off his shirt. Crap. I avert my eyes immediantly. I look everywhere but at Derek's incredibly toned torso. Derek starts to tie a blue band around his arm.

"What are you doing?" Stiles asks him.

"Last resort" he says. He slams a bone saw on the table. "You're going to cut off my arm" he says. Stiles look ready to vomit.

"Are you serious?" Stiles asks.

"It'll heal if it works" Derek assures him.

"If?" I ask. I don't think I want him to take that risk for an 'if'. Derek glances at me and looks back to Stiles.

"I don't know if I can do this. There's flesh, bone..blood" Stiles cringes.

"You faint at the sight of blood?" Derek sighs.

"No, but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!" Stiles defends.

"Fine. How about this? Either you chop off my arm or i'm gonna chop off your head" Derek threatens.

"You know, i'm so not buying your threats anymore-" Derek cuts Stiles off by grabbing him and yanking him forward. I growl at the wolf, letting my eyes shine green.

"Get your hands off him" I warn Derek. The beta huffs angerily. He looks like he's about to pass out, falling into the table and throwing up black blood on the floor. I move to his side, pulling his hand off Stiles and keeping him steady. "Derek? Derek?" I say, the older man almost unable to keep his eyes open.

"You gotta do it now" Derek says. "Do it now!" he yells at Stiles. Stiles picks up the saw.

"I can't-"

"I'll die!" Derek yells. "Do it!" I see the torn look on Stiles' face. I grab the saw from his hands.

"I'll do it" I say, bringing it to his arm. Derek looks at me and nods to go ahead. I cringe. "Dude, don't die" I half-plead, about to flick the saw on.

"Ash! Stiles!" Scott yells. He runs into the room. "What the hell are you doing?!" he asks. I drop the saw, sighing in relief.

"You just prevented a lifetime worth of nightmares" Stiles says, relieved as well.

"Did you get it?" Derek asks, standing upright shakily.

"Here" Scott says, handing it to Derek. "What are you gonna do?" he asks him.

"I'm gonna..gonna.." Derek passes out, falling to the floor. The bullet slips from his hand and rolls into the drain.

"The bullet! Get the bullet!" I tell Scott. I crotch over Derek. "Derek, hey wake up" I say, smacking his cheek. "Derek, wake up" I say, shaking him.

"Is he dead?!" Stiles stresses. "I think he's dead!"

"No, he's fine, he's not dead" I say, trying to convince myself.

"I got it!" Scott says.

"Give it here" I say. He hands it over.

"Do you know what to do?" Scott asks me. I nod.

"Well..I have a pretty good idea" I say. "I need a lighter" I say. Stiles scrambles to find me one. "Derek told me what to do on the way here" I say, biting the top of the bullet. I spill the gunpowder out in my hand and light it with the lighter. I hiss in pain as it sparks and burns my skin but it'll heal soon enough. I look at the gunpowder and Derek's arm. "This might hurt" I sigh before shoving my hand againist his arm and pushing my fingers into the bullet wound. Derek's eyes fly open, glowing blue. Scott pulls me off him, getting in front of me as Derek's wolf cries out. He roars in pain, rolling around on the floor. He grunts, his wolf in pain too. It's actually sort of painful to watch him wither in pain. When he stops, the dark veins disappear and the wound closes with a puff of blue smoke.

"That was awesome!" Stiles says. "Yes!"

"Are you okay?" I ask him, stepping out from behind Scott.

"Except for the agonising pain" Derek says sarcastically.

"You're welcome by the way asshole" I say. I let him pull his own werewolf ass up off the floor this time.

"Okay we saved your life, which means you're going to leave us alone, you got that? All of us, my sister included. If you don't, i'm going to go to Allison's Dad and i'm-i'm going to tell him everything-" Scott starts. I'm a big girl, i'll decide who 'leaves me alone'.

"You're going to trust them?" I ask Scott. "They're hunters Scott, they want people like us dead"

"Exactly" he says, looking and directing the threat at Derek.

"You think they can help you?" Derek asks him.

"Why not?" Scott asks him. I sigh, he can be an idiot sometimes..alot of the time. "They're alot freakin' nicer than you are" Scott snaps.

"I can show you exactly how nice they are" Derek says.

..

I pull up outside the hospital, the 3 of us walking in. I dropped Stiles home on the way here. Derek takes us into a dark room. There's a man, in a wheelchair in the middle of the room, not moving.

"Who is he?" Scott asks Derek.

"My Uncle" Derek says. "Peter Hale"

"Is he like you? A werewolf?"

"He was, now he's barely even human" Derek says, eyes never leaving his Uncle. "6 years ago, my sister and I were at school. Our house caught fire. 11 people were trapped inside. He was the only survivor" Derek tells us. I sigh sadly, understanding what he's saying. A hunter did that, an Argent.

"What makes you so sure they set the fire?" Scott asks him.

"They were the only ones who knew about us" Derek tells him, finally looking at him.

"Then they had a reason" Scott says.

"Scott, being different doesn't justify murder" I say.

"They're hunters though, they were doing their job" Scott says.

"Really? So that justifies this?" Derek asks him, turning his Uncle to face us. I look away, half of Peter's face is scarred with burns. "They say they'll only kill an adult and only with absolute proof but there were people in my family who were perfectly ordinary in that fire. This is what they do, it's what Allison will do" Derek stresses.

"What are you doing? How did you get in here?" a redheaded nurse asks, coming in.

"We were just leaving" Derek says before leading us out. We get back to the car and my heart feels heavy. With dread. Empathy. Worry. I can't believe what happened to Derek's family, it's horrible. And I don't want my brother anywhere near any of them, even Allison. We're all quiet, not sure what to say. I stop at my car, wringing my hands awkwardly. I look over at Derek who seems to be having a hard time keeping calm after seeing his Uncle and talking about his family.

"Do you want a ride somewhere?" I ask Derek, breaking the silence. He meets my eyes, anger flashing in them.

"Save your pity for someone else" he snaps, walking away.

"I wasn't-" I start but Scott grabs my arm.

"Let's just go Ash" Scott says. My eyes watch the angry male walk away. "Let it go Ash, he'll be fine" Scott coaxs. I watch Derek disappear into the night. "He can protect himself, don't worry about him" Scott says. I sigh and get into the car, Scott following.

"I want you to stay away from Allison" I say as I begin driving us home.

"You're taking Derek's side?" Scott asks me.

"I'm not taking any sides" I say. "I just want you to be safe, I want you to be alive" I say. Scott's quiet. I keep glancing at him. He's glaring, face set angerily, frowning out the window. He doesn't say anything until I pull up at the house.

"Allison's not dangerous and she's not like them. You have no right to tell me to stay away from her" Scott says, getting out and going inside. I sigh, staying sitting in the car. My eyes flash green as I punch the steering wheel out of anger. I've already ruined the little bit of mine and Scott's relationship we've starting piecing back together. I can't do anything right, I never can. I back out of the driveway, there's no point of going in when Scott's mad with me. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, not when I feel this jacked up. I pull out my phone, texting Mum.

 _I'm so sorry, i'm going to have to call a raincheck in on dinner, something's come up. I'm really sorry x -Ash_

 _It's okay sweetie, i'll grab chinese on my way home x -Mama McCall_

 _Okay, i'll be home later x -Ash_

I don't know where i'm driving, i'm just driving. I usually drive to clear my mind. By myself. I end up stopping for gas after a couple hours. I glance into the backseat. I flashback to a handful of years ago. 11 year olds, Scott and Stiles in the backseat. Laughing. Smiling. Being happy. I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking that memory away. When I open my eyes again, the backseat's empty. I take a deep breath, rubbing my hands down my face. I get out, feeling tired but knowing I won't be able to fall asleep if I try. I should head home but I don't feel welcome at the moment. I'll give Scott some time to calm down, think all this over. That's his home before it's mine and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable or anything. That's not fair to him or Mum. I start pumping my gas, leaning againist my car and closing my eyes for a second.

"You know you're not supposed to drive when you're tired, right?" I open my eyes, looking at the male who's pumping his own gas opposite me. He looks as though he's calmed down alot. Well he's not trying to murder me with a glare so that's a good sign I guess.

"My problem, not your's" I say to Derek shortly.

"You're mad, understandable" he nods.

"You mean after you were a complete asshole?" I ask him.

"I thought you went home" he says, ignoring my question. He leans againist his camaro, facing me. I sigh, seeing he's not going to talk about what happened at the hospital anymore.

"I did. I dropped Scott off" I say.

"But you left again?" he questions. I sigh again, turning to face him properly.

"Are you trying to make a point or are we just making small talk?" I ask him. It came out ruder than it was supposed to but i'm upset and I want to be left alone, and Derek's 'i'm pissed off and now i'm not' attitude isn't helping. Derek takes the pump from his car, getting in it.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me. But don't worry, I won't hold you up" he says before taking off hastily, not even looking at me. I sigh again. Why do I piss off everyone around me? The pump dings and I take it out, getting into my car. I pull out smoothly, continuing down the road. After another hour and a few missed calls from Mum wondering where I am, I pull over. My eyelids are too heavy and i'm not having an accident. I lock my doors and crawl into the backseat. I dig through my bag for a jumper, throwing it on. I lay down and shut my eyes, allowing a restless sleep to take me.

..

..

 **Next chapter's the first big emotional style chapter for Derek and Ashlee if that makes sense, I hope it does :) Favourite, follow and review! PS. I put up a one shot as well, it's about Ashlee and Derek (of course) and how they bump into each other through Scott 3 years after they were together. But..Ashlee has a 2 year old daughter with her. You can pretty much put together what happens but give it a chance, check it out! I'm still deciding weither I should add another 1 or 2 chapters but i'd love to know what you think :)**


	5. Bad Guy

**Credit to original artists for the music! The support is so fantastic you guys! Shout out to DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, Serena Sterling, Bree and TheMorbidGal for reviewing! I can assure you Bree, Isaac and Ash will not be dating, that's a promise :) But..there** _ **may**_ **be a guy that gets between Ash and Derek, not officially but there will be a little conflict. It'll either push them apart or help bring them closer together. Wow Serena, I didn't know half of those words but thank you you smarty pants :) Glad you guys liked my short fic 'It's Been A While' too! I will write another chapter but it's not top of my list so a little waiting may be needed :) Thanks guys! Enjoy chapter 5!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I groan, pulling myself out of the car. That was one of the worst sleeps i've ever had. I sit down in the dirt, leaning againist my car. It's early morning, maybe 5-5:30, sun's barely coming up. I don't know how long I sit there, just watching the sun come up. The pinks, oranges and yellows splash across the sky, an explosion of warm colours across a canvas. The feathery clouds that are scattered over it, dimpling the colours with the perfect amount of soft white. I reach back into the car, flicking on the stereo, playing my mix CD. It was hard but I got a stereo installed into my car, these older models usually only do radio, AM. I sigh and rub my hands down my tired face. A soft smile comes to my face when the music starts to play. I sing along. I remember singing with Mum all the time when I was younger. Wherever we were, we'd end up singing, only when it was just us though. I'm not Christina Aguilera so I don't go off singing in front of people. But I felt safe to do so with Mum. I used to sing with Scott too. I taught him to play guitar, i'd sing and he'd play. He even got into singing himself, a little rapping too. I'd sing to Tyler to put him to sleep too. God..I miss those days. I like this song, the chorus is soft, easy to sing.

 _I flee the scene like it was my last ride_

 _You see right through_

 _Boy you had me pegged the first time_

 _You can see the truth_

 _But it's easier to justify_

 _What's bad is good_

 _And I hate to be the bad guy_

 _I just hate to be the bad guy_

I stop, a smell invading my nose. Familiar. Wood. Pine. Leather. Canine.

"Are you following me now?" I ask without looking away from the sky. Derek doesn't say anything but I know he's around. "They say dogs only follow their owners around obsessively" I joke, my voice flat though. I'm not really in the mood to kid around.

"You can hide behind your snark all you want" he says, revealing himself, walking out from the trees.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask him.

"You know exactly what I mean" he says.

"Let me guess..i'm broken, I need someone to talk to, I need a hug?" I say in mock concern for myself.

"Weither you need those things or not, you're looking in the wrong place" he says.

"I don't need them and I don't want them from anyone" I say, still looking at the sky.

"I'm not following you either. Just wrong place, wrong time" Derek says. "I'll go-"

"Wait" I sigh, making him stop and turn back to me.

"So we can make small talk and call each other names? No thanks" he says, starting to walk away again.

"Derek" I say. He stops again and looks at me. "Can you sit down for like half a second?" I ask him. "Please" I force myself to add. He glances back towards the woods before nodding and coming over to me. He sits down beside me, leaving some space between us. "I'm..i'm sorry" I say. He looks at me, eyebrows burrowed. "For snapping at you all the time mostly. But I am sorry about your Uncle and your family-"

"Don't-"

"Shut up, let me finish, alright?" I cut him off. He sighs, nodding. "Don't mistake me for someone who will pity you because I won't. It's a stupid thing to feel. But feeling sorry for someone and what they've been through is completely different. I lost the little family I have, not in the same way but I did. And it sucked, alot. And even though I have most of them back now, it's still sucking because I can't seem to do anything right. I can't say I know what you've been through because I haven't experienced the same thing, but I do understand it. And that's why you should know i'm going to help you and Scott find the alpha" I say.

"Thank you" he says, smiling in the slightest. "The more people we have, the better chance we have" he says.

"There's something else" I say.

"What is it?" he asks.

"Is there a cure for this? Is the myth about a cure really a myth?" I ask him.

"I don't know if it's true" he says honestly.

"If I help you do this, you have to let Scott be the one to kill him. If there's even the slightest chance he can go back to normal then he has to take it" I say.

"Okay" Derek nods. "Why do you want this so badly?" he asks me.

"There's no way Scott will stay away from Allison, he's in love with her. Crushing, puppy love, whatever. If I can't take him away from the hunters, then i'm going to take the wolf away from the hunters" I say. "He'll be human..he can be with Allison, happily, safe, alive" I say. "I'd never forgive myself if they hurt him because of what he is. He's my responsibility now, it's my job to protect him and Stiles"

"Don't bite my head off again but..he really does care about you and I can tell you really care about him" Derek says carefully, eyes studying me like he's waiting for me to lash out again.

"He's my brother" I say. "I want him to be happy. He won't be happy away from her, he won't be happy with this life. I just need him to be okay..you know?"

"Yeah" he nods. "I had a younger sister" he says. I turn to him, suprised. From what i've heard and seen, he doesn't like to talk about his family. "So I do understand. I'll help you as well" he says.

"Thank you" I smile softly. "I said my piece, you don't have to stay if you've got places to be" I tell him.

"I know" he nods. But he makes no move to get up. "What're you doing out here so early?" he asks, suprising me by starting up a conversation.

"Couldn't sleep" I decide to say.

"Because i'm not a werewolf and I won't be able to hear your heartbeat change when you lie, right?" he says evenly.

"Okay Cujo, you caught me" I sigh. "Me and Scott had a..disagreement and I didn't want to go home so..so I stayed out here in my car instead" I tell him. Derek gives me a strange look, it's like he wants to feel sorry for me but he's too uncomfortable with the confession to say anything. "Don't worry Dr Phil, everything's fine" I chuckle. Derek smiles a little. "Unless you've changed you mind, you want to hug me and tell me everything will be okay?" I tease.

"And how would that look? Me smelling like a feline all day" he says. His slight smile tells me he's joking.

"You know..i'm still trying to figure out why everyone thinks badly of you" I say. He locks eyes with me. "I get it, you're rough around the edges, you're pissed off 90% of the time..but I don't think you're a bad guy" I say. "In fact, we're quite alike. But people don't seem to hate me. Well..not to my face" I shrug.

"Maybe that's because people see through that crap, they see who you really are" he says.

"Hmm. And who am I really?" I ask him.

"I haven't gotten there yet" he says. "But I will" he says. I smile.

"We'll see" I challenge. I feel my inner jaguar flick it's tail around, like it's playing. "Are you saying once we get past all your crap, we'll find someone else too?" I ask him. He shrugs.

"I don't know" he says.

"I think there's someone else, someone calmer, someone softer. And i'll get there too" I say. He fights a smile.

"Good luck with that" he says.

"Same to you" I say. My phone ringing cuts between us. I look down at it 'Mama McCall' flashing across the screen. "I have to take this" I say and he nods. I answer. "Morning, early shift?" I ask, hoping to distract her from asking where I was last night.

"Ash? Where were you last night?" she asks, worried. Dammit. I file through my head, searching for the appropriate lie.

"Honestly? I spent all night at the library, their were a group of high school kids there studying. The older woman gave me the key, sweet old thing" I say.

"You? At a library? All night?" she asks.

"Yeah" I say.

"And why don't I believe you?"

"Mom" I say. "That's really where I was" I cringe, knowing how unconvincing I sound.

"Are you sure you don't have a, what do teenagers call it? Friends with benefits? A fling or whatever it's called" she asks. I chuckle awkwardly.

"If University course outlines are of the male gender then sure" I say.

"You were looking at going to university?" she asks.

"Sure, I mean, why not? I'm young and..whatever" I say. Not _exactly_ a lie, I thought about it...once.

"I'm proud of you sweetie" she says, I can hear her smile.

"Yeah..thanks. Listen, I gotta go. I'll definitely be home tonight, I promise"

"Okay, i'll see you tonight"

"Bye" we both hang up. I feel Derek's eyes on me and I turn to him sheepishly.

"University courses at the library? Really?" he asks, amused by my lie.

"What was I supposed to tell her? The truth? She'd just stress about it and..I can handle Scott" I say.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just say yes to being with a guy all night?" he asks, actually curious.

"No, because I wasn't with a guy all night" I say.

"You weren't at the library either" he deadpans.

"I'd rather her think i'm ambitious than a skank" I shoot back. He makes a 'hmm' sound and nods.

"Makes sense" he says.

"I'm not like that anyway" I say, feeling the need to defend myself.

"I know" he says.

"How do you know?" I ask curiously.

"I just do" he shrugs. I chuckle.

"Of course" I say, rolling my eyes fondly. "What's got you so talkative today?" I ask him curiously.

"I don't know" he says, looking confused himself. "Probably your fault" he says.

"Aw" I coo. "Did the kitten bring the puppy out to play?" I tease. He smiles this time, actually smiles. "You should smile more, looks good on you" I say. He raises an eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that, you have to know you're not exactly ugly" I say.

"Do I look like someone who looks at themselves in the mirror?" he asks.

"Not exactly" I chuckle. "I wouldn't be suprised if you didn't even own a mirror" I say. He smiles a little. "What are you doing out here so early anyway?" I ask him.

"I like to run" he shrugs.

"That's your answer, seriously?" I chuckle. He gives me a confused look. "You just decided to wake up at dawn and go for a run through the woods?"

"I live in the woods" he says.

"Oh..right" I nod.

"And I didn't wake up. I haven't slept" he admits.

"Why not?" I ask. He turns his head to look at me. "Sorry..I can be a little too curious, obviously"

"It's okay" he says. "I..let's just say there's no single reason" I nod, understanding how that feels.

"So did you see my car out here or..?" I ask, wondering why he came over. Not that I mind, it's actually nice talking to him like this. But still, i'm curious.

"No. It was actually your singing that attracted me. I heard you from the woods" he says. I raise an eyebrow at the word 'attracted'. "You know what I mean" he says, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I just like toying with you" I smile. "I was actually hoping nobody would hear that" I cringe shyly.

"Why?" he asks.

"Why? You heard what I sound like" I chuckle.

"You sound good" he says.

"Okay, you don't need to suck-up" I say. "We're cool now"

"I know" he says. "I just thought you should know you don't sound terrible" he says.

"Smooth puppy, smooth" I chuckle. We fall into silence again, only the music playing softly behind us.

 _I'm the nightmare you fell asleep in and woke up still in_

 _I'm your karma closing in with each stroke of a pen_

 _Perfect time to have some remorse to show for your sin_

 _No, it's hopeless, i'm the denial that you're hopelessly in_

"You have anything that's made before the 2000's?" Derek asks, looking amused at my choice in music.

"Course" I say. I lean in and file through the songs until I reach track 6.

 _Just take those old records off the shelf_

"No way you have this song" Derek says.

"Yeah dude, 1978. Might be Seger's best song" I smile. Derek tries to fight a smile but I see the corners of his lips twitching.

 _I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself_

 _Today's music ain't got the same soul_

I sing. Derek turns to me, suprised. I can't help it. This song's so catchy, so old school.

 _I like that old time rock 'n' roll_

I shy away, shutting up.

"Why'd you stop?" Derek asks.

"I don't really like singing in front of people" I admit.

"If I was to ask, would you keep singing?" he says. I meet his eyes, not answering him. He raises his eyebrows.

"No" I say. His lips upturn a little.

"I didn't peg you as shy" he says.

"Maybe you read me wrong then" I say.

"No" he shakes his head. "I'm just still reading"

"What makes you so sure?" I ask. He looks at me but doesn't answer. I chuckle. "Okay, being vaguely mysterious is your thing. I forgot"

"Something like that" he says.

"Well..I should go. Mom's gonna wanna have a talk with me" I say reluctantly. He nods, getting up. I don't know why I do it but I don't want him to leave just yet. "You wanna ride somewhere?" I ask him. He stops, turning back to face me.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" he asks me.

"1 rule-don't touch my stereo" I say, getting in. The passenger door opens, Derek getting in. I look at him. "Don't be so tense, I promise I won't kill you" I tease.

"I find that a little hard to believe" he says, jokingly.

"Caught me" I pout. "I promise I won't kill you on the way home then"

"That's a little easier to believe" he says. I chuckle, pulling out onto the road. "You know, i've heard it's hard to get the smell of dog out of a car" he jokes. That makes me grin widely.

"You don't smell that bad" I say, smiling. He actually smells good..besides the dog smell but the rest of his scent overpowers that. He smells like the forest and leather. I like it, it's relaxing, it's familiar. "Well, for a dog" I add. Then he's fighting that smile again. I wish he'd just let it out. It's gorgeous. I peel away, heading for the preserve.

 _Still like that old time rock 'n' roll_

I start tapping my hands on my steering wheel.

 _That kind of music just soothes the soul_

 _I reminisce about the days of old_

 _With that old time rock 'n' roll._

..

"Wait" Derek says once we're at his house. "Ashlee, get out of here right now" he says.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"The hunters, they're coming. Go" he says.

"I can't leave you here alone with them-"

"I'm fine, just go. Ashlee, get out of here as fast as you can" he pushes.

"Derek, I can fight-"

"Please go, I don't want them to hurt you" he stresses.

"Fine" I sigh. "You die Derek and i'll kill you" I say, concern niggling in the back of my head. He nods with a small smile and goes inside as I take off away from his house. And I feel worry settle in my gut as I turn onto the road.

..

When i'm home, I make myself breakfast. Eggs, bacon, delicious. I knaw at my food more than actually eat it. My jaguar paces inside of me. Okay..i'm really worried about Derek. I go through the rest of the day absent-mindedly. Why do I care if he's okay? Well..we're not exactly enemies I guess. We've had our share of little arguements since we meet but it was different this morning. He showed a nicer side of himself. I wasn't kidding about what I said, I think there is someone calmer under all that angry crap, and I do want to find out who. I don't know why..he's just intrigues me I guess. My jaguar side too, she's very interested in getting to know his wolf. I sigh in relief when Scott walks in the door, Mom in tow.

"How was your conference?" I ask.

"Terrible" Mom says, dumping her handbag on the table angerily. "I don't want to talk about it"

"Okay.." I say awkwardly. I go over to Scott, pulling him away. "I need Derek's number" I say.

"Why?" Scott asks.

"You ring him then, whatever. Just make sure he's okay" I say.

"Why? What's going on?" Scott asks.

"I was dropping him off at home and hunters came to his house-"

"Why were you with him?"

"Scott, just make the call. Please" I say. He's perfectly okay with dating a hunter but he can't be bothered to check if a fellow wolf/sort of packmate is okay? Scott pulls out his phone. I hang around as he talks to him. He asks if he's okay, he must be.

"Here" Scott says, handing the phone out to me. "He wants to speak to you" Scott says bitterly. I take the phone, walking into the lounge area with it.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

"I'm fine. They barely touched me" Derek tells me. "Are you? Did you get away in time?" he asks.

"Yeah, i'm fine. I was worried about you" I say without thinking. I cringe. Crap. "Uh..forget I said that" I say quickly.

"It's okay, I was worried about you too" he says, suprising me yet again. Scott clears his throat from behind me. I turn to him, he nods to the phone.

"I have to go, Scott needs his phone. I uh..i'm glad you're okay and..i'll see you 'round Cujo" I say. I hear Derek scoff.

"You too Garfield" he grins. Damn. I was hoping he wouldn't find me a ridiculous nickname. We both hang up and I toss Scott back his phone.

"You're on a nickname basis with him now?" Scott asks me, looking unimpressed.

"Don't do that. Not when you're dating the enemy" I shake my head. I make friends with a wolf and he's pissed at me? He's dating the person that will eventually hunt him down and try to kill him. I think his choice of a new friend is a tensy tiny worse than mine.

"Stay away from Derek" Scott says.

"He's not a threat to us Scott" I sigh. "He's actually a decent guy-"

"A decent guy? Are you kidding me?" Scott asks. "You've seen what he's like, the way he snapped at you for trying to help. What happened that changed your mind?" Scott asks me.

"I..I talked to him. This morning" I say.

"Oh, s-so you were with him last night then? That's where you took off to?" Scott asks, unimpressed and scared for my answer.

"No, jackass" I say. "I didn't want to upset you so I stayed in my car" I inform him, his face dropping a little at my words. "I bumped into him in the morning. And we talked for awhile. He's no threat to us" I say again.

"I won't tell you again. Stay away from Derek" Scott repeats, trying to make me back down.

"I'm a little old for us to be having this conversation. And you don't get to tell me who to stay away from" I say evenly. Scott turns on his heel and goes up to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Damn. Can I not keep my mouth shut for 2 seconds? Every time I open it, I piss someone else off.

"I'm beat, i'm heading up to bed" Mom says, walking into the room. "Night Ash" she says, kissing my head.

"Night Mom" I smile, watching her go into her room and shut the door. I go outside and get my bags out of my car. I sling them over my shoulders and bring them up to my room. I put them on my bed, looking around the room with a soft smile. Still the same. Double bed with my favourite purple comforter set. My desk, my books still stattered over it, tidied up a little though. Same dresser. I close the door and curtains before changing. I slip into bed, getting used to the feeling of a real bed again, to being home again. I'm finally home.

..

..

 **How did you guys like the two's interaction this chapter? Oh boy, Scott's not too happy with their newfound friendship either. Favourite, follow and review!**


	6. Coffee Beans And Spirals

**Shout out to Serena Sterling, Bree and Tesla424 for reviewing! Glad you guys still like this :) No Bree, I won't be breaking hearts, it's more of an interferance person :) And yes, Ash does whatever she likes! Next chapter shows exacty that! Enjoy chapter 6!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

Scott woke me up in the late morning, he asked me to take him grocery shopping. There's still a little tension between us after last night but we're not saying anything about it. He wants to do the food shopping for Mom as she's been pulling double shifts alot recently. I agreed, thinking it was a kind gesture.

"Take the bags up Scott, I need a coffee" I say, eyeing the barista stall just outside.

"Keys" he says. I pull them out, handing them over. I keep my hold on them when he tries to pull them away.

"Don't drive away in my baby" I warn him.

"Wolf's honor" he grins. I smile and let them go. He starts walking away. I yawn, still feeling sleepy despite my sleep-in. I still have to make up for my terrible sleep from the other night. When I get to the front of the line, I smile politely at the barista.

"Afternoon beautiful, what can I get you?" he asks, smiling at me.

"Coffee, black thanks" I say with a smile, feeling myself blush a little at the suprising compliment. He nods and begins making it.

"Long morning?" he asks, taking in my tired apperance.

"Long night" I say and he nods. "Family dramas, you know?" I say, realising that sounded as bad as 'staying at the library all night'.

"Well, here's the perfect pick-me-up" he says, handing me the cup.

"Thanks" I smile. I fish out a $5 note. He takes it with a smile. He holds something out to me. "Oh no, keep the change" I say.

"Very kind of you" he says and I hear the coins drop into the till again. "But have this too" he says. I take the napkin from him, a little confused. "You have a lovely rest of your day" he winks. I smile brightly at the man, walking after my brother. I get to our parking lot story. I find the car, finding Scott's not here. Probably dragging his feet. I put my coffee down to look at the napkin. It's folded up so I open it. Inside is a cell phone number with two kisses, 'x's. I chuckle to myself. I can't pick up guys when I try to look good, how I did it looking like this, i'll never know. I hear car alarms bleering. I put the napkin down with my coffee. And I smell canine again.

"Scott?" I call out. He comes out of nowhere, running towards me.

"Ash! Go!" he yells. He's grabbed from behind and slammed onto a car bonnet. "Derek?! You scared the crap out of me!" Scott squels, finding it's Derek holding him down.

"What the hell is this?" I ask the two males. "Derek, get off him" I say. Scott scrambles away from Derek, coming over to me. "Any reason you attacked my brother? Because i'm seconds away from attacking you" I warn the man, eyes turning green.

"I said i'd teach him, I didn't say when" Derek shrugs. I sigh, forcing my eyes to return to normal. Really? Some training thing? I thought we was trying to hurt Scott.

"You could have said something, I was getting ready to kill you" I say.

"You kill me?" he asks, sounding amused at the thought.

"Don't test me Derek" I say, trying to hold back a smirk. "Wait..where are the groceries?" I ask Scott.

"I thought the alpha was after me! I wasn't worried about groceries!" Scott defends.

"You failed by the way" Derek says.

"What? I was fast" Scott says.

"Not fast enough" Derek shuts him down.

"But that thing with the car alarms, that was smart right?" Scott asks him.

"Until your phone rang" Derek shuts him down again.

"That was..I mean..just stop!" Scott says. "What happened last night..Stiles' Dad getting hurt, that was my fault!I need you to teach me how to control this" Scott says. John got hurt last night? Jesus. Why does noone tell me these things?

"Look, I am what I am because of birth, you were bitten. Teaching someone who was bitten takes time" Derek says. "I don't even know if I can teach you"

"What do I have to do?" Scott asks him.

"You need to get rid of distractions" Derek says. He grabs Scott's phone, facing the screen at him. "You see this?" he asks Scott. _Missed Call from Allison_. Of course. "This is why I caught you. You want me to teach you? Get rid of her" Derek says. Well..it's a good idea.

"Why? Because of her family?" Scott asks him. I watch on, sipping my coffee, amused between the two's exchange now that I know Derek's not an alpha trying to kill Scott. Derek nods to Scott's phone with a cute sarcastic smile..before throwing it and smashing it againist the wall. Scott's shocked, pissed. I don't know if that was completely necessary but..I think i'm okay with it. All he does is call and text her anyway.

"Are you getting angry? That's your first lesson. You wanna learn how to control this? How to shift? You do it through anger, by tapping into a primal animal rage and you can't do that with her around" Derek lectures.

"I can get angry" Scott says lowly.

"Not angry enough" I say. Scott turns to me, looking frustrated.

"Your sister's right. This is the only way I can teach you. Now, can you stay away from her? At least until after the full moon?" Derek asks him. Scott shakes his head but sort of nods, unsure himself. "Do you want to live? Do you want to protect your family and your friends? Yes or no?"

"Yes!" Scott says. "If you can teach me then I can stay away from her" Scott says. I think we all know that's a lie.

"Okay. Good" Derek nods.

"No dog fighting you two, i'm not getting arrested again. John's not as leniant as he used to be" I say, now sitting on the boot of my car. Both turn to me with half-hearted glares. "Scotty, you need to go get the groceries" I say, yawning again.

"When I come back, he better be gone" Scott says, aiming it at Derek but he's looking at me. I roll my eyes, waving him away. "I'm serious" i'm too tired to do this right now.

"Yes sir" I smirk with a mock salute. Scott walks away, glancing back every few seconds. "Seriously?" I ask Derek. "Is that really how you're going to train him?"

"Got a better way?" he asks.

"An hour a day, work with shifting, fighting, whatever" I say.

"Is that how they do it in Mexico? Plan little training sessions?" he asks skeptically.

"No" I say. "Their's included alot more beating and getting my ass kicked until I forced myself to shift" I say.

"You're serious?" he asks. I lift up my shirt a little, showing him the 4 long, scarred claw marks across my hip.

"Alpha's. Never properly healed" I say, letting my shirt hide it again. Derek frowns. "After that _training session_ , I was able to shift on demand" I tell him. "I won't let that be Scott's fate too" I say.

"I can assure you, that's not how i'm going to train your brother" he says.

"You mean how _we_ are going to train my brother" I correct him.

"We?" he asks.

"Yes we" I confirm. "I'll do some training with him when I can, help you with him if you need it" I say. "He's my brother so of course i'm going to help him" I say. "Even if he is being a dick" I mutter. It mustn't have escaped Derek's ears because he raises his eyebrows.

"I won't _need_ it but I will accept it" he says.

"See? I told you there was someone softer under the surface" I say with a smug grin.

"I should go, your guard dog's coming back" he says, ignoring my last comment. Typical. He leans down and picks something up. "I think you dropped this" Derek says, handing me the napkin with the number on it, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh..y-yeah" I say awkwardly, taking it from him. I see his nostrils flare as he inhales.

"Let me guess, the coffee guy?" he asks.

"Oh, uh..maybe.." I say, hiding my face behind my coffee cup as I blush.

"See you 'round" he says, walking away.

"You will" I say.

"Sometime soon?" he asks, stopping but not turning to face me again. I smile to myself.

"If that's what you want" I say. He nods, still facing the other way.

"I'll see you soon" he says before walking off again. Derek wants to see more of me? Good..I want to see more of him. By the time Scott's back, Derek's gone. Scott looks around, obviously looking for Derek.

"He's already gone" I say.

"I don't want him hanging around you" Scott says, frowning and still looking around.

"We're not having this fight again. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Now come on, in the car" I say. I down the rest of my coffee, dropping the cup in the bin and stuffing the napkin into my pocket.

"What's that?" Scott asks, seeing it.

"A napkin" I deadpan.

"Why is it going in your pocket?" he asks.

"Just get in the car Scott" I say, getting in myself.

..

When we get home, Scott disappears to go 'to a friend's to study'. I know he's going to Allison's. Mom's at work so it's just me. I lounge around and watch tv until the sun goes down. I can feel the napkin burning a hole in my pocket. The coffee guy was attractive sure, but I just don't find myself that interested. Normally I would snatch up a chance to go out on a date with anyone interested, i'm not exactly Juilet. And there's no Romeo, there never has been. There's been a few guys, didn't work out..things went a little..fast. None lasted more than a couple months. But this guy is cute, he's funny, he's a hard-worker judging by the skills he showed and his speed..but I still find myself not that interested. And I have no idea why. It's actually annoying me a little. Scott comes racing through the door.

"Scott? What's wrong?" I ask, following him up to his room. He starts locking all the windows, locks the door, closes the binds, peeking out them. "Scott?" I ask him, getting worried.

"The alpha, he-" Scott says, turning the light on. We both jump when Derek's sitting in his chair in the corner.

"Jesus" I ground out, forcing my heart beat to even out again.

"You seriously need to stop doing that!" Scott says.

"Wait, how many times have you creeped into my house?" I ask Derek. "How long have you been here while i've been downstairs?" he gives me an unreadable look. What the hell Derek? When he said soon, I didn't think he meant this.

"So what happened? Did he talk to you?" Derek asks Scott. I sit down on Scott's bed and watch as the two argue about the alpha. Derek definitely perks up at the mention of a spiral. I've never heard of this 'spiral' before.

"What does it mean?" I ask Derek as he unlocks Scott's door to leave. Derek doesn't say anything.

"You buried your sister under a spiral" Scott says. Derek's nose flares a little, he's getting angry just thinking about his sister. His eyes flick between Scott and I. "Derek, what does it mean?" Scott repeats. Derek sighs.

"You don't want to know" he says before walking out. Scott turns to me.

"Do you have any idea what that was about?" Scott asks me. I shake my head.

"No. But I know that spiral definitely means something to him" I say. "Scott..what happened to Derek's sister?" I ask him. "He told me his car was her's, passed down when she died. And he talked about being at school with a sister when the fire took place"

"Not long before you came home..the night I was bitten, Stiles and I found a body. A girl, cut in half. There was a misunderstanding and we thought Derek had killed her. He was arrested and put in their holding cells because of Stiles and I digging her up and jumping to conclusions. Turns out-"

"It was his sister" I finish, eyes widening.

"His older sister, Laura Hale. She was the sister that was at school with Derek the day of the fire" Scott tells me. "She was able to transform into a full wolf. Derek thinks the hunters killed her..he's looking for revenge for her as well as his family. That's why he's dangerous, he's out for revenge and that's all"

"And he wants to help you"

"Does he really? Or am I just an assest for his revenge?" Scott asks.

"Scott, I talked to Derek. I've told him i'll help you two find the alpha-" he goes to object but I cut him off. "He mentioned a cure to you, for all this. He agreed to let you kill the alpha to test the cure if we help him" I tell Scott.

"He said that to you?" Scott asks.

"Yes" I nod. "He's not just out for himself Scott, he's trying to help you as well. You can't blame him for wanting revenge, that was his whole family. When I left..it hurts to lose your family. I came back though. Derek can never go back to his family. Try and imagine how he feels and maybe rethink how you see him as a person" I say. "Because he is a person. There may be a jackass on the surface but he's still a person Scott, a person who lost _everything_ for nothing" Scott nods, thinking over what I just said. "We should get some sleep. Don't worry about the alpha, if he comes here, i'll wake up and i'll come running" I assure Scott.

"I don't need you to save me" he says.

"By the looks of how you did today with Derek's test, you do" I say.

"Can't you just teach me? How'd they teach you?" Scott asks. I feel a slight tinge along the marks as I think about them.

"I'm a jaguar, you're a wolf. It's different" I decide to say instead of telling him. He'd worry, he'd want the whole story..it's better I just brush it off. Derek's been through alot, a few claw marks doesn't bother him, it's easier to talk to him about those things. Hmm..never thought i'd say that. "Derek's your best shot" I say. "But I will help, i'll train you when I can, i'll even come help out Derek with you" I tell him.

"Be careful-"

"Scott, please don't start. We've just started to get along, don't turn it into something it's not" I sigh.

"Just..be careful. Make sure you're putting you're trust where it deserves to go" he says. I nod.

"I am" I say vaguely. "Night Scotty"

"Night Ash" I go into my own room, falling down onto the bed with a long sigh. I take the napkin from my pocket, looking at it. Sorry barista guy, but I don't think you're the one for me. I tear it into 2 pieces and ball it up. I throw it at the bin, throwing my fist up in the air victoriously when it gets in. I crawl under my covers, allowing my tiredness to lull me to sleep.

..

..

 **Favourite, follow and review!**


	7. Riders On The Storm

**Credit to the original artists for the music! Shout out to Serena Sterling, Tesla424 and Bree for reviewing! I love how much you guys love this 3 Telsa424, hope you like the old school 'Doors' song in this one ;) I won't keep you waiting, here's another chapter! Some heavy family story trading feels in this chapter, solely a Derek and Ash chapter :) Enjoy!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I woke up early. I decided to go and see Derek, check on him after yesturday. Funnily enough, I found him before I reached his house. He says he was just taking a walk. Somehow, that brought us to now. He got in the car and I just drove, nowhere in particular, just a drive.

Grey clouds patch the sky above us. A storm must be coming. You can smell the rain in the air, maybe that's just my heightened senses.

"This feels wrong" Derek says. I glance away from the road and at him, frowning.

"Let me take you home at least" I say.

"No, no, I didn't mean this" he assures me. My frown softens and I look at him again. "Well..sort of. But not me. I mean, what if your brother or your Mom find out about this? About us hanging out?" Derek asks me. "Scott's not exactly happy we've met" I chuckle, realising he's worried about me, not him.

"Even if they did find out, i'm 21 years old. I'm an adult. I'll hang out with anyone I want too" I tell him. "And I want to hang out with you so unless you don't want too, everything's fine" I say. His lips upturn a little.

"I want to" he says.

"Good" I smile. We cruise around the back roads of Beacon Hills in a comfortable silence. Derek reaches for my stereo. I raise an eyebrow. He stops for a second but proceeds, turning it on anyway. I turn back to the road with a smug grin. He's getting comfortable around me, i'm glad he is. I'm comfortable around him too.

"Anything you wanna listen too?" he asks me.

"Nothing in particular, play anything" I say. He nods, playing around with the stereo. He finds a track and sits back in his seat. I'm pleasantly suprised when he leans the seat back a little, putting his feet up on the dash and fully relaxing himself.

 _You called me strong, you called me weak_

 _But still your secrets I will keep_

 _You took for granted all the times I never let you down_

 _You stumbled in and bumped your head,_

 _If not for me then you'd be dead_

 _I picked you up and put you back on solid ground_

I start tapping along to the song on the steering wheel, turning down another long dirt road. I can't help but sing the chorus. The thunder starting to crack around us and the music playing drowns my voice out anyway.

 _If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?_

 _If i'm alive and well,_

 _Will you be there a-holding my hand?_

 _I'll keep you by my side_

 _With my superhuman might_

 _Kryptonite_

"How do you know about these roads?" Derek asks.

"I used to drag here when I as younger" I chuckle. "Scott wasn't kidding when he said i'd been in the holding cells for racing before"

"I didn't think so" Derek says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm still figuring you out, but you do seem like the type"

"What type?"

"Rebelious" he shrugs.

"Takes one to know one dude" I grin.

"That's true" he nods, fighting a smile. I pull over when we reach the long stretch of dirt road. I keep the key in the ignition, music rolling out the speakers quietly.

"I used to bring Scott and Stiles here" I start. Derek turns his head to look at me, giving me his attention. I play with my fingers on the bottom of the steering wheel. "When Mom had long shifts at the hospital, i'd take them out for a drive before I took them to school, sometimes when I picked them up. After everything with Stiles' Mom.." I trail off, feeling tears sting my eyes. I take a deep breath, looking out the windshield and down the road. "Driving always calmed him, hell it calmed me too. So i'd bring them here whenever I could, keep their minds off the bad things happening in their lives, the things that made them upset" I chuckle awkwardly, shaking my head. "Sounds stupid now"

"It's not stupid" Derek says.

"No?"

"No" he shakes his head. "I actually used to take Cora out too, for similiar reasons" he admits. I turn in my seat so i'm leaning againist the door with my legs crossed, looking at him.

"Who's Cora?" I ask.

"She was my little sister..she'd be Scott's age" he sighs.

"I'm sorry" I say.

"It's okay" he says. "I wasn't supposed to drive, barely had my license. But I always had a soft spot for her, everyone in my family knew it" he admits shyly. I smile. "So on some nights, i'd take Laura's car and bring Cora with me. Little 10 year old Cora had a weird thing for hermit crabs" he says, chuckling lightly, face screwing up fondly.

"Hermit crabs?" I repeat, chuckling too.

"Yeah, I know" he nods. "She really liked those Caribbean Hermit Crabs"

"Those are the ones with the one purple claw, right?" I ask. He nods.

"And the spikey white shells" he adds. "I don't know why but she loved them. I always thought it was because purple was her favourite colour but I think it was more than that. There was only one place we could ever find them. There uh.. there used to be these little rock pools over the sand dunes at the beach"

"Yeah, I remember" I smile.

"Yeah. That's where i'd take Cora. She loved it..it was the only time we got to spend together, just the two of us before the f.." he says. "So you've been there?" he asks, changing the subject. I decide to respect his privacy, not pushing the topic of his little sister any further. I'm still hiding a secret of my own about my siblings so I don't really have the right to push him.

"Uh, yeah" I nod. "With my..with my Dad" I say quietly.

"Was he always a.." Derek asks, not wanting to say the obvious word.

"A deadbeat?" I ask. He nods cautiously. I shake my head. "No, not always. He used to be a good man, he helped alot of people. He works with the FBI, sounds tacky but he really does" I say. "I don't really know when the change happened. Suddenly him and Mom were fighting all the time, he was always drunk. He acted like he despised Scott and I. I don't know what happened. We never got an explaination, I don't think we ever will" I shrug. "One day, everything changed and things were never the same again" I say.

"Do you think that's your fault?" he asks.

"Partly, yes. I should have noticed earlier and done something but..but I can't control what goes on in his head, what he does or doesn't do. So I guess..not really" I answer. "It's confusing, I know. But I guess I just want someone to blame for why it all happened. The easiest person to blame is.."

"Yourself" Derek finishes for me. I nod.

"You know the feeling?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah..yeah, I do" he nods. We fall quiet.

 _Riders on the storm_

I smile. I used to always drive and listen to this song. I reach over and turn the stereo up. Derek smiles, nodding in approval.

 _Riders on the storm_

 _Into this house we're born_

 _Into this world we're thrown_

 _Like a dog without a bone_

 _An actor out on loan_

 _Riders on the storm_

I move into my seat properly, starting up my car again. I look down the road before pulling out.

"Where are we going?" Derek asks, sitting up.

"You'll see" I smile. I grin widely when we come up to the straight Derek and I first met on, the one we were arrested on. I put my foot to the floor, my 429 engine revving loudly. Derek laughs, properly laughs, realising what i'm doing. It's a deep laugh, but it's sweet at the same time. I skid to a stop at the end of the quater mile. I smile triumphantly. That was fast. "See? I definitely would have beaten you the day we met" I say.

"I'm sure you would have" he says sarcastically with a smirk. I chuckle before I continue driving to our suprise destination. "Okay..so where are you taking me?" Derek asks.

"Couple more minutes and we'll be there" I say, not answering his question for the second time. When we do pull up around the back of the beach's dunes, I turn to him, wondering how he'll react. He doesn't say anything as his eyes light up with realisation once he sees where we are. "They're still here..just a little harder to get to now" I say, looking over the hill at the rock pools below. He nods, eyes still trained on them. "Is it okay I brought you here?" I ask him. He nods again, reaching for the door. We both get out, looking over at them. This place holds memories for us both, good ones but along with the good sometimes comes some bad. "You sure you wanna do this?" I ask him as we walk forward. I hope I haven't crossed a line.

"Are you?" he asks, tearing his eyes away to look at me.

"Honestly? I have no idea" I say with a nervous chuckle. Derek holds his hand out to me. I swallow back with fears before taking it. We walk down the hill, going down to the pools. I pull Derek over to the biggest pool I can see. I kneel down, the male following. I watch with wide, fascinated eyes as all the sealife works away. Even the smallest crustations hold my attention. I don't know how long we sat there and watched them.

"There's something I wanna show you" Derek says, breaking the soothing silence. I nod and we stand up, still hand in hand. It's strange that we're doing that but it's also comfortable. This isn't exactly easy, us being here again. I feel better knowing he's right here with me. I sneakily grab the distinctive spiked white shell I spotted a few minutes ago. I follow him over to the ledge. He motions for me to follow him down.

"Are you serious?" I ask him, glancing over the edge. He nods.

"I won't let you get hurt, promise" he says. I nod, following him down. I let out a yelp when I slip, cringing and waiting to feel pain. Except I don't. I open my eyes and Derek's got his arm around my waist. "I told you" he smiles. I chuckle, getting to my feet again. I'm much more careful after that. We manage to get down without either of us, more particularly me, hurting ourselves. We come to a cave entrance. Derek moves to go in but I stop, making him stop too.

"Will there be cockroaches in there?" I ask. He smiles.

"You're afraid of cockroaches?"

"They're freaky, okay? They could survive an apocolypse, we can't even do that" I stress.

"I promise what's in here is much better than cockroaches" he says. I groan.

"Fine" I say. "But if I see even one, i'm booking it" I say with a smile.

"Fair enough" he nods. I follow him in, eyes liten up green to watch where i'm walking. "Ashlee, stop that. You can't see it with those eyes" he says. I look up at him in confusion. "It's okay" he coaxes. I blink, letting them return to normal. My breath catches in my throat. Everywhere. All up the walls. All over the ceiling. Glow worms. The glow bounces off the shallow water in the cave, shining wonderfully.

"It's beautiful" I breath out, eyes scanning over the scenary.

"I know" he smiles softly. We just look, admire it all in silence. "I used to come here alot. I never got to bring Cora here, it used to be much harder to get down here and I didn't wanna risk her getting hurt" he says. "I was waiting until she was a little older and her wolf was more coordinated but.." he trails off and I don't ask him to go on. I can tell his little sister meant alot to him, that his whole family did. I squeeze his hand in comfort, not saying anything. He squeezes mine back.

"This place is amazing" I say.

"It is" he nods. We fall silent again, eyes taking in each inch of the glowing beauty. We turn towards the entrance when there's a loud crack of thunder. We walk back out it, looking up at the sky. Even darker grey clouds than earlier now loom over us. As if a switch was flicked, it starts to pour down with rain successfully soaking us both in seconds. "Maybe we should go?" Derek suggests. I grin.

"No way dude, we're already soaked" I say.

"I like your thinking" he chuckles.

"What can I say? I'm a glass half full kind of girl" I say.

"I've noticed" he says, smiling softly.

"Come on" I say. He lets me lead him back into the cave. We sit down at the entrance, side on so we can look inside and over the beach. "I found something you might like" I say. Derek turns and looks at me. I open my palm, showing him the Caribbean Hermit Crab shell. His eyes widen. "Here" I say, holding it out to him.

"You found it, you should keep it" he says. I take his hand, opening it. I put the shell in his hand, closing his hand again.

"She'd want you to have it" I say softly, referring to his sister. He nods, running his finger along the spikes.

"Thank you" he says sincerely.

"It's okay" I nod. "Thank you for today. For helping me be a rebelious adult" I chuckle. He grins at that.

"I've gotten pretty good at that so it's no problem" he says. I bring my knees up, resting my chin on them. We slip into silence, only the sound of the rain on the cave roof above us filling it. By the time we did leave, the sun was setting. We'd wasted the entire day there..and I wouldn't change that at all.

..

..

 **Some past-sharing between these two! They're getting closer :3 Favourite, follow and review!**


	8. Night School

**WOW! Last chapter's response was amaze-balls :O Shout out to TheMorbidGal, Tesla424, momentum123, DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, Bree, Serena Sterling and momentum123 again for reviewing! Glad you like the fluff, I hope to write more :) I did try really hard with the sunrise and setting descriptions in that chapter so i'm glad it was noted :D No worries if you can't always review DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, I appreciate it anyway :) And yes! Cockroaches will shoot you :P Okay! Ash has some secrets..and of course, because i'm cruel, they won't be coming out** _ **just**_ **yet. But soon! In the next 3-4 chapters i'm pretty sure! I've dropped hints but they will be fully revealed in coming chapters ;) So stay tuned my beauties! I hope you keep enjoying this like you have been! Have chapter 8!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I managed to get back into my room without bumping into Scott that night. I'm asleep the second my head hits the pillow, it was a long day..but it was a good day.

 _I pull up outside Derek's house, giving the male a smile._

 _"Hey, uh..today was.." he says, trying to find the appropriate words._

 _"Not terrible?" I provide with a grin. He fights a smile, looking amused._

 _"Yeah, something like that" Derek nods. "I'll see you around" he says, getting out._

 _"Sometime soon?" I ask, looking at him. He turns and looks back in the car at me._

 _"Yeah, soon" he nods with a small smile. I can't help but smile widely._

 _"Bye Cujo!" I call out, taking off back towards my own house with the doopest, smittenest smile on my face._

I sleep in the next morning, actually feeling refreshed when I wake up. I pull myself out of bed and shuffle into the bathroom, getting into the shower. I make it quick, not bothering too much. I wrap a towel around me and go back into my room. I fall onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I focus my hearing and I can tell the house's empty. Scott's at school and Mom must be at work. I stay in my towel, not bothering to get dressed. I go around the house, cleaning up a little bit. Alot of vaccumming, bad reality tv and packets of ramen noodles later..I find myself asleep on the couch.

..

I groan, waking up to my phone blaring beside me. I grab it and answer the phone.

"What?" I ask tiredly.

"Ash?" it's Scott.

"Yeah, it's me. What do you want?" I ask him, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Meet us at the school alright?" I look outside, realising it's dark. How long was I asleep for?

"Yeah, give me a minute to get some clothes on and i'll leave right away" I tell him.

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?" Scott asks, not missing a beat. "Who are you with?"

"My imaginary boyfriend" I say sarcastically.

"Did Derek come by the house before he came here?" Scott asks.

"W-what?" I ask, completely confused.

"Just..just get here" Scott sighs.

"Sure. I'll see you soon" I yawn before hanging up. I run up the stairs and into my room, throwing my towel to the ground. I pull on grey ripped skinny jeans and a plain black tee. I get into my car, driving towards the school. Why the hell are they at the school at night? I pull up, seeing Stiles' jeep and Derek's camaro. I get out, putting my hands into my pockets. "What's all this?" I ask, all three men turning to face me. "No..you're kidding me?" I sigh, seeing Deaton tied up in the backseat of Derek's car.

"We have to be sure" Derek says. I nod, walking over to the 3. I jump up and sit on the camaro's boot. Derek gives me a 'really?' look but I just smile, eyelids hooded as i'm still waking up from my nap. I know he doesn't really mind. Derek and I are slowly getting closer. He's not Scott's mentor anymore, he's my friend. And he's been there for me when i've needed someone. And that means something to me, that's important to me.

"Okay, we have an idea" Scott says.

"You have an idea or Stiles has an idea?" I ask him.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because it's either going to illegal or stupid" I grin. Stiles chuckles.

"It's the perfect plan" Stiles says. "You stay out here with Derek, look after Deaton-"

"No" Scott shakes his head. "You're coming in with us" Scott says.

"No, it's cool. I'll just look after Deaton with Derek" I shrug.

"No, you won't. Come on" Scott says in a 'no arguements' voice. I narrow my eyes at Scott. "Now Ashlee" he says, pointing to the spot in front of him like i'm a dog. Stiles' eyes flick between us a little nervously. I jump down to my feet. I walk up to Scott, body language clearly stating for him not to push me because I will snap. Stiles and Derek stand off to the side, watching us both closely.

"Are you telling me what to do now?" I ask him, keeping myself calm. Scott is hardly ever that disrespectful with me. I don't like it.

"And if I am?" Scott challenges. Okay, he needs to cool it with the attitude.

"Are you?" I ask, eyes narrowing more. "Yes or no?" I ask, wanting my answer.

"No, he's not" Stiles says, deciding to quickly get between us as he sees where this is going. "Right Scott?" Scott holds my gaze for a moment longer but eventually cracks.

"No, i'm not" he forces himself to say.

"We'll talk about this later. At home. Alone" I say to Scott, letting my own posture soften. He nods, eyes flicking to Derek and back to me again. "Be careful boys" I say, going back over to the camaro and jumping up again.

"Will do. Let's go" Stiles says, grabbing Scott's arm and dragging him away. They break into the school, of course they do, and go inside.

"What was that?" Derek asks me.

"What was what?" I ask him, playing dumb.

"Because we're pretending that didn't happen, right? That you and your brother didn't almost tear each other's throats out for no reason" Derek says sarcastically.

"Just keep an eye on Deaton" I mutter, keeping my eyes on the school. Derek jumps up on the boot beside me.

"It's about Allison, isn't it?" he asks, looking over at the school at well.

"Who else?" I sigh. Derek makes this troubled, frowning face. "Don't look at me like that"

"Like what?" he asks.

"Like a kicked puppy" I say. "That pun wasn't intentional" I say when he glares lightly at me. "I'm fine, me and Scott are fine" I say.

"Yeah. I'm sure you are" he says sarcastically, looking away. I go to call him out but we're both jolting in suprise when an awful screeching comes over the intercoms. I cringe. Yeah..that's my brother. "He's got to be kidding me" Derek sighs. We share a look. We're not impressed Scott, come on. We both turn back to the school with wide eyes as a loud, demanding howl fills the air. I smile proudly. Scott and Stiles come outside, Scott grinning triumphantly. "I'm going to kill both of you, what the hell was that? What are you trying to do? Attract the entire state to this school?" Derek lectures, jumping back down to his feet and walking to start in front of the pair.

"Sorry, I didn't realise it'd be that loud" Scott says.

"Yeah it was loud. And it was _awesome_!" Stiles praises.

"Shut up" Derek says to him.

"Don't be such a Sourwolf" Stiles says. That is gold. It suits him perfectly. I'm sticking with Cujo though, personal preference.

"What'd you do with him?" Scott asks Derek.

"What?" Derek asks. They look in the car. Uh..Deaton's gone. "I didn't do anything"

"This is why she should've come with me" Scott says, pointing at me. "She's a distraction to you and you're a distraction to her" Scott lectures Derek and I.

"Distraction?" Derek and I both question at the same time, screwing our faces up.

"Yes. I know you've been spending time together-" Scott starts. I jump down from the camaro.

"Calm down Scott, Deaton couldn't have gotten far" I say, walking over to them. That would very quickly turn into a fight and I don't want that to happen. I'd actually like Scott and Derek to get along but that's up to them, not me. Suddenly Derek's hoisted into the air, blood pouring past his lips. "Go! RUN!" I yell at Scott and Stiles. "Into the school! Hide!" the alpha throws Derek into the brick wall, his body falling into the leaves. I growl at the alpha without hesitation, my jaguar instinctively protecting Derek.

"Ash! Come on!" Scott yells, getting into the school.

"Sorry Scott" I say. I turn to the alpha, snarling at him, shifting. The alpha drops to all 4 paws and roars in my face before turning on it's heel and taking off into the woods.

"Ash!" Scott yells, coming outside.

"Inside now! Hide! Lock the door!" I order.

"What about you?" he asks.

"Do as you're told!" I growl at him. "GO!" I demand. Stiles drags Scott inside. I run over to Derek. "Derek? Wake up" I say, shaking the man. I start to panic. "No, no, no, you're okay" I say, rolling him onto his back. His eyes are lifeless. He's bleeding black blood. "Derek?" I call out. He doesn't move. At all. Something snaps inside of me. Rage floods through me. I get up, glassy eyes and all, anger shown clearly on my face. I growl and take off after the alpha, fully shifted and ready to drag this bastard to Scott's feet and let him claw his throat out. The alpha's smart, i'll give him that. His tracks aren't that simple to follow but I can still follow them, and track him by scent. I come to a stop where the tracks stop. I can still smell him close-by though. "Where are you you son of a bitch!?" I yell. I study the trees around me, watching closely for any movement. I hear movement above me. I have a second to move out of the way before the alpha drops down. I jump to my feet again, snarling at him. "Come on you evil bastard" I mumble, getting myself ready for a fight. The alpha stands up on it's hind legs, easily towering over me. Crap. He swipes his claws out at me and I jump out of the way. I'm not fast enough though, a second pair of claws throw me into the tree trunks and down into the leaves. An awful pain shoots up my side, making me cry out to pain. I pull myself up only to have a large, clawed hand wrap around my neck. The alpha lifts me up, a long way off the ground, by my neck. I struggle to breath, trying to use my claws to tears his hand away from my throat. My vision starts to swarm, becoming coloured with black dots. Everything starts to turn back. I hear the alpha roar in my face but it's distant. I'm dropped into the leaves, the alpha taking off back towards the school. "Sc-Scott.." I breath.

"Ash?!" I hear, matched with quick footsteps before passing out.

..

..

 **Crap! Ash is a badass! Favourite, follow and review!**


	9. Close Call

**Shout out to TheMorbidGal, Bree, Serena Sterling and Tesla424 for reviewing! As always, I love the love guys :) TheMorbidGal, you are correct, it's not Scott :) Yes! Ash is a total badass and her and Derek have the craziest, strangest relationship but I love it :) Just letting you know, tomorrow's update is going to be a late on but it's either late or I don't update at all and I don't want to do that so..late update it is! Enjoy this one now though! You've got some Hurt!Ash in this one, and some Heroic!Derek if that's what you can call it :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Ashlee? Ashlee, wake up" I stir, body flaring up in pain as someone shakes me.

"St-stop" I mumble, trying to push them away as they're hurting me. "Hurts" i'm too dizzy to identify the person. I think my eyes are still partly closed because I can barely see anything.

"I have to get you out of here" they say. Arms come under me, lifting me up. I feel us moving.

"No..Sc-Scott.." I say, finding breathing is difficult.

"The police are almost there, he'll be fine. I promise"

"Who..who are..you?" I ask. I squirm, feeling a burning in my ribs.

"Ash, open your eyes" they say, concern lacing their voice.

"H-hurts" I yelp in pain, feeling that sharp ache shoot through me all the way to my toes and fingertips.

"It's me, it's Derek, okay?" he says. "I'm going to take you back to my house and get you cleaned up" I feel relief come over me now that I realise it's Derek holding me.

"D-Derek..I can't b-breath" I say, struggling.

"We're almost there, just hold on" he says. I nod, holding back my cries of pain. After a while, I feel something solid underneth me. "Okay..this might hurt" he says. I feel his fingertips touch around where all the pain's coming from. My eyes fly open and I start to panic, breathing quickly, the pain gettting worse. "Hey, hey, calm down" he says.

"W-wait" I say, pushing him away from me. There's some sort of branch sticking out from under my rib cage. Oh god. I knew I hit something when I was fighting the alpha, I felt it. I try to make myself grab it but my head screams for me to stop the second I touch the branch. I stare down at it with wide, hurt eyes. This isn't going to be pleasant. Not at all.

"I have to take it out, i'm sorry" he says, coming back to my side. "Here" Derek says, grabbing my hand. His veins start to turn black as he takes some of my pain. His other hand comes around the wood in my side.

"Ple-please don't" I plead. I can feel each part of me the wood has struck through. This _might_ hurt? Really Derek? I think it might really, really, _really_ hurt. I look at his hand around the branch with scared eyes. He moves it in the slightest and I catch his wrist with my spare hand. "No, don't" I beg.

"I have too. If I don't take it out, it can't heal properly. The longer it's in, the worse the aftermath will be. Ash, you have to let me do this right now" Derek says evenly.

"I-I can't..hurts t-too much" I say.

"I know but..it'll go away, I promise" he says. I wither in pain, I really don't want him to do this. "I have to do this"

"But.." I trail off. I can feel it starting to heal and that's not a good thing. He's right, the longer it stays in, the more it'll heal around the branch and the more pain i'll be in when it gets pulled out. Because it does have to come out. "Okay, just..m-make it quick" I say, eyes starting to water. I let his wrist go and instead clutch his hand that's taking my pain tightly.

"I will" he nods. He gets ready but looks up at me again. "Hey, don't watch it. Look at me" he says. My eyes find his. "Ready?" he asks. I nod, feeling the complete opposite. I let out a struggled cry of pain as he rips it out. He drops it and brings his other hand to the wound, covering it as it starts to pour with blood. I feel my eyes start to glow as I squirm in pain. As the pain dies down, I begin to calm down. I feel the light in my eyes fade out too, my head becoming light and dizzy.

"Thanks Cujo" I whisper to Derek, giving him a small weak smile. I feel my eyes start to droop closed again.

"Wait, you gotta stay awake-" is the last thing I hear Derek say before I black out again.

..

I wake up slowly. I feel like i'm trying to catch my breath. I open my eyes and it's dark, I don't know where I am. I try to get up but my side flares up in pain again.

"Don't get up" I jump to my feet at the voice, one arm around my torso, trying to ignore the pain. There's so many unfamiliar smells here..wherever here is. I stumble forward, falling into the wall to hold myself up. "I said don't get up" I sigh in relief, realising it's Derek who's now helping me to stand.

"I didn't realise it was you" I say as he helps me to sit down again. I lift up my shirt and find my torso's bandaged up, it smells clean too. No blood. "You did this?" I ask him.

"No, I was going to leave you to bleed out like roadkill" he says sarcastically.

"My next question was going to be 'are you okay?' but sarcasm's a sigh of good health so I think i'll leave it" I smirk. "How'd you get out of there alive? I sort of watched you die..I made sure and there was no pulse" I say.

"I know. I tried to tell you but..my body wasn't exactly cooperating" Derek says.

"So I just got my ass handed to me for no reason?" I ask.

"I think so" Derek nods with a small smile. I chuckle.

"Well i'm glad you're not dead" I say.

"I'm glad you're not dead too" he says. I look at the bandages, curious to see how bad it is but not stupid enough to undo the bandage. I look back up and Derek quickly looks away from it too.

"What?" I ask him.

"Nothing, I just noticed something" he says.

"Noticed what?" I ask him.

"Your tattoo. When'd you get the ink?" Derek asks.

"Oh" I say, realising he would have definitely seen my tattoo. "You mean the owl?" I ask. He chuckles.

"Yes, the huge owl" he says.

"Right" I grin. I've got an owl tattooed on my side. Okay..it's sort of much bigger than that. It's body's tattooed on my ribs, it's wings are extended out like it's getting ready to take off, covering my back and sternum/navel. "As soon as I turned 18" I tell him.

"Why an owl?" he asks.

"Honestly? I just really like owls" I shrug. Derek grins, shaking his head fondly. "Well..I guess it was sort of a celebration of being an adult" I say, deciding to be honest. "I was supposed to be 'free as a bird' from all my crap with my Dad and stuff..but only I wasn't..not 'till I left" I admit, looking at my hands.

"Well..it's a nice piece, I like it" Derek says.

"Thanks. It hurt like hell" I smile. "I like your's too, the triskele on your back"

"You know what a triskele is?" he asks, a little suprised. I nod.

"Represents the whole alpha, beta, omega thing, right?" I ask.

"Yeah"

"That's not why you got it tattooed on your back though" I say carefully.

"Is that right?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Then why?" he asks. I lock eyes with the man, not knowing if I should actually say it. But knowing me, I do it anyway.

"Mother, father, son" I say. He doesn't say anything, just keeps looking at me. "The bold lines show strength, your connection to them. It shows how important they were to you, _still_ are to you" I correct myself. After a long pause of silence, Derek nods slowly.

"Maybe I wasn't being as mysterious as I thought" he says with a small smile. I chuckle softly. "Does your mother and Scott know about your tattoo?" Derek asks, changing the subject. I don't push the subject, if he wants me to know anymore about his family, he'll tell me.

"Yeah..okay no, they don't" I chuckle. Derek smiles properly. "So it kind of needs to be our secret"

" _You_ keep a secret from Scott?" he asks in mock shock.

"Hey, he doesn't need to know _everything_. Even Scott and I have our boundaries on what we talk about" I defend with a smile.

"I doubt that" Derek says. "Even when you fight, you two are like two peas in a pod" I actually chuckle at hearing him say 'two peas in a pod', it sounds strange coming out of his mouth.

"Well..we don't talk about sex or anything remotely similiar" I say boldly with a shrug.

"Yeah, I think that one's a given" Derek says with a soft smile. I laugh lighly.

"Yeah, you're probaby right" I say. "Hey, where are we anyway?" I ask him.

"My house. My old house" he tells me. I nod.

"Wait, where's Scott and Stiles?" I ask, moving to get up. Derek puts his hands out, pushing me back down carefully. "Where are they?"

"They're at home and they're fine. I already rang Scott, he knows you're here and you're safe. I said i'd call him back when you were awake and he wants to come get you" Derek tells me.

"Is my car still at the school?" I ask. "Oh god, it is, isn't it? What if someone-"

"Your car's 'round the back with mine" Derek tells me.

"Oh thank god. Thank you so much" I smile softly at him.

"It's nothing, just relax a little" he says. I take a deep, calming breath and nod, laying down properly.

"What's the damage? Is it bad?" I ask him, bringing my fingers up to touch my bandages. Derek pulls my hand away, stopping me.

"Don't touch it, you'll hurt yourself" he says. "Yeah, it was bad. But it's healing now, you'll just be out of commission for a couple more days" Derek says.

"No can do" I say.

"What? Why not?" he asks.

"Full moon is tomorrow night, I have to help Scott. That's not going to be an easy task" I say.

"I'll handle Scott" Derek says.

"That's sweet but no, he's my brother so i'll handle him" I say stubbornly.

"We'll see" he says before getting up. He goes into the other room to call someone. I can hear them talking, it's Scott and he's worried about me. I stop listening and start looking around the room. I'm definitely in a bedroom, reminants of charred furniture still in the room. I'm on a makeshift bed. When Derek comes back in, he stops when he sees me looking around. I stop and avoid eye contact with him.

"Sorry" I mumble.

"Nothing to be sorry for" he says. He comes over and leans againist the wall beside me, looking around the room himself. He goes into brood-mode, I can tell by the look on his face. "This used to be mine" he finally says.

"This room?" I ask. He looks down at his feet, nodding. I don't know what to say. I want to ask but I don't want to push it. "Um.." I try, not sure what i'm going to say. Derek looks up at me. "Did you..did you share? Like with a brother or something?" I ask.

"No" he shakes his head. "I was the only boy, I had 2 sisters" he tells me.

"Cora and Laura, right?" I ask.

"Yeah" he nods.

"What were they like?" I ask, not sure how he'll react to the question.

"Cora was a really good kid" he tells me. "Laura was always the leader, she was the alpha once Mom.." he trails off, frowning.

"Derek, i'm sor-"

"Scott's on his way" Derek tells me, stopping my apology.

"How pissed is he?" I ask, leaving the rest of that conversation alone for now.

"That you're here with me or that you, stupidly by the way, tried to fight the alpha?" he asks. I glare half-heartedly at him.

"I got in some good hits..sort of" I say.

"Liar" Derek says.

"Okay, fine. He was alot stronger than I thought he would be" I admit.

"Scott's not mad, well not at you. He's just worried" Derek tells me.

"Is he pissed at you?" I ask him, pulling myself to sit up. Derek tries to get me to lay back down but I wave his hands away from me, sitting up and waiting expectantly for my answer. Derek sighs at my stubborness.

"He said I should have taken you home right away. He said he could have taken care of it"

"No offense to him, but there's no way he would have been able to do what you did" I say. "He couldn't put me in pain"

"It's not like I wanted to hurt you" Derek says, frowning a little.

"No, I know. But Scott's a sweetheart. I don't think he could have done it either way" I explain. Derek nods in understanding. "I'm glad it was you. Thank you"

"It's nothing" he brushes it off.

"You saved my life, that's sort of something Derek" I say with a small grin.

"Well..I guess" he says.

"You guess? Jesus Derek, just take my thanks" I chuckle. He smiles a little, nodding.

"You're welcome" he says.

"Good dog" I grin, making him roll his eyes.

"Ash? Ash!" I hear Scott.

"In here" Derek says, loud enough for his werewolf ears to hear. Scott comes racing in.

"Are you alright?" Scott asks, coming to my side. He puts his hand over the bandage, making my side ache.

"Ow Scott, don't touch" I say, smacking his hand away. "And yes, i'm fine, thanks to Derek" I say, giving the older wolf a grateful smile. Scott turns to him.

"Thank you" he says. Derek gives him a nod. "Can you get up?" Scott asks me. Derek moves to help but Scott sends him a warning look. I roll my eyes, pulling myself up.

"Derek, do you have my keys?" I ask Derek.

"Yeah, i'll grab them for you" he nods and leaves the room.

"From now on, you stay away from him" Scott says quietly, watching the door.

"Scott-"

"I ask Derek to do _one thing_. And look at you. You end up hurt, really hurt" he cuts me off.

"And that's his fault how?" I ask Scott. "He saved me" Scott opens his mouth to answer but nothing comes out. "If it wasn't for him, i'd still be out there with the alpha, bleeding out in the woods. He saved my life Scott" I say. Scott doesn't say anything. Exactly. Derek comes back in. He looks between Scott and I as we're facing each other with stubborn looks but not saying anything. I turn to Derek and he tosses me my keys. "Thanks" I say, my frown softening into a small smile. Scott takes my keys from my hand. My smile falls and now i'm wearing a frown again.

"I'll drive, you're in no con-" Scott starts. I snatch them back.

"I'm hurt, i'm not dead" I say. Derek tries to hide a smile. Scott opens his mouth. "Don't argue with me" I cut him off. "My car, my rules" I say with a smile.

"Fine. Let's go then" Scott says. He brings an arm around my shoulders, helping me walk. We start walking out.

"Wait" I say. I pull away from Scott, the teen confused. I move over to Derek. I can practically feel Scott getting ready to stop me, but I hug Derek anyway. He brings one arm around my back, suprised. I pull back, looking up at him. "Thanks Cujo" I smile, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, come on. We're leaving" Scott rushes me, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"You're welcome" Derek says, returning my smile. I pull away from the wolf, going back over to Scott, letting the teen lead us out. We get into my car. It's awkwardly silent as I drive us back towards home. Scott keeps glancing at me with a frown but if I meet his eyes, he immediantly looks away.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask him.

"You..you kissed Derek" he recalls. His frown deepens. "Why did you kiss Derek?" he asks.

"He saved my life" I say obviously.

"Do you like him?" Scott asks. "Is that what that was?" uh..

"Slow down brother. We're friends" I shrug, deciding not to actually answer his question.

"Mmm hmm" Scott says, obviously unconvinced. "Well you can do better. Alot better" he says. I roll my eyes, looking back at the road. The rest of the car ride is quiet.

..

..

 **Bonding! Cheek kiss! :O More bonding time next chapter! Remember, there's going to be a wait. Like half a day's wait I think, sorry :( I won't be around internet so I won't be able to update but I will when i'm back! Favourite, follow and review!**


	10. The Side I Didn't Know

**Credit to the original artists for the music! Shout out to Bree, DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, Serena Sterling, TheMorbidGal, Tesla424 and lolsmileyface6 for reviewing! After seeing all the reviews I had to find a computer and update! Thanks so much for the kind words guys! Yay, cheek kiss! No 'bedding'..just yet ;) Enjoy!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I spend the next day in bed as told too. Yeah right. I'm driving around in my car, i've been missing the feeling of cruising. My phone buzzes. I stop at the lights, checking it.

 _You're in bed, right? -Scott_

 _Of course. It's beyond boring by the way. -Ash_

 _Good. I'll see you after school. -Scott_

 _If the full moon makes you play up, come home. Immediantly. -Ash_

 _I'll be fine. Get some more rest. -Scott_

 _Yeah, of course. -Ash_

I put my phone down, taking off. Me? Resting? Pffft. They should know better. I take the back road, window down, letting the wind whip through my hair. I feel free, if just in this moment. I feel my stomach churn. Uh, crap. I skid to a stop on the side of the road, kicking my door open and puking black blood into the dirt.

"Argh" I groan, sighing. I get out of the car, slamming the door shut. I spit the left over bile out into the dirt. My body's still healing itself. I lean againist the car, lifting my shirt up. I pull the bandage down, inspecting the damage.

"Afternoon beautiful" I quickly pull my shirt back down, looking up at the voice. "Again" the coffee guy says, pulled up beside me in a Honda Civic EJ1. "Small town" he shrugs.

"This is your car?" I ask him. He nods. "Not bad"

"And that's your's?" he asks.

"Yes. This is my baby" I smile proudly.

"Mustang?" he asks and I nod. "A Mach 1?" he asks.

"No, Boss 429" I tell him. I can't help but think back to when I first met Derek, he knew right away exactly what I was driving.

"Nice" he nods. "We never got to properly meet" he says. "I'm James" he says, hand out. I walk over to him and take it, shaking. I inhale deeply, he's definitely human. Not a threat. "Can I have a name to put to your pretty..everything?" he asks, eyeing me up and down.

"Ashlee" I tell him.

"Well look at that, even your name's pretty" he grins.

"Okay Romeo" I chuckle, making him grin even more. "Settle down"

"So" he says, leaning his hands over his steering wheel. "I was worried you wouldn't call..and you didn't" he chuckles awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh..I uh..lost your number" I lie, not really wanting to say I threw it away. He seems nice and all, but..I don't know.

"Oh, well..I can programme it into your phone if you'd like?" he offers.

"Yeah..sure" I smile awkwardly. I hand my phone over to him. He taps the screen a few times before handing it back, smirking. I take it, looking down at it. His number's under ' _Romeo_ '. "You're an idiot" I chuckle.

"I should go, i've got work. Maybe you'll drop by?" he says.

"Maybe not today, i'm supposed to be at home resting" I say.

"So you're that type of person" he nods. I give him a questioning look. "One that doesn't follow anyone's rules but her own?"

"That's a..really good guess" I chuckle, he does too. "You should go though, I don't want to get you fired"

"You're right" he nods. "It was nice talking to you Ashlee" he smiles.

"You too James" I smile back. He blows me a kiss, driving away. I get into the driver's seat and lean againist the seat, dangling my legs out the window. I sigh heavily. What the hell am I doing? There's an alpha trying to kill everyone, trying to steal Scott for some weird pack thing. That's what I should be worried about. I get into my seat properly, driving towards home. Maybe I should rest up..just a little.

..

I go inside, walking up the stairs. I reach for my room's door handle. I pause..someone's here. Someone's in my room. I kick the door in, going in growling. Derek spins around to me, looking guilty as all hell. I instantly stop, looking sheepish as all hell.

"Uh..sorry" I say.

"No, uh..my fault. Sorry" he says. We look at each other awkwardly.

"So..what are you doing here? In my room?" I ask him.

"I uh..I came to check on you, make sure you were okay.." he says, scratching the back of his neck like he feels awkward admitting that. "I was worried"

"Oh" I say, finding myself smiling. "Well i'm fine" I say, keeping my voice as even as possible. By the look on Derek's face, he's listening to my heartbeat. He looks up at me, unimpressed.

"Aren't you supposed to be here resting?" he asks.

"Says Scott" I scoff.

"And me" he says. I raise an eyebrow.

"Too bad I don't have to listen to either of you" I smile innocently, sitting down on my bed. "Really, it's fine. It's just my the wound that needs to heal and then i'm okay" I assure him.

"I'm sure" he says skeptically, with an eyeroll. My stomach rumbles, loudly.

"I need something to eat" I say, getting back up. "Are you hungry?" I ask him. He looks at me but doesn't answer. "Come on, i'll make us something to eat. It's the least I can do for what you did for me" I say, walking past him and heading downstairs to the kitchen. He follows, eyes watching me closely like he thinks i'm going to turn on him or something. I open the fridge, looking through it.

"You know i'm a wanted criminal, right?" he asks. "It won't look good me being here"

"Hmm. You're wanted?" I ask him, not really bothered by it at all.

"Yeah. For murder, thanks to your brother.. _again_ " he sighs.

"Scott's an idiot" I say.

"This is the part where you call John, call someone, anyone" he says, confused.

"I think I could handle you if I had too" I chuckle. "And you're not dangerous" I shrug. I bring out array of vegetables. I grab a chef's knife and a chopping board.

"Are you sure about that?" he asks. I look up from my capsicum, locking eyes with him. I point the large knife at him. His eyes follow it.

"You're not dangerous to me" I say. "Or Scott" I say before going back to cutting up my capsicum. "Well for your own sake i'd hope you're not dangerous to Scott" I say.

"You know, sometimes I wonder about all the threats you make" he says, resting his chin on his fist.

"You're your own person" I shrug. "If you have a death wish, test me" I challenge.

"Maybe once i've finished eating. And you've put down the knife" he says, cracking a smile.

"Good choice" I smile. "I'd like to say we're friends and you don't seem like the type of person to turn on their friends" I say.

"You're right about both those things" he says. I look up at him with a small smile. I go over to the stereo, turning it on and putting it onto my mix CD. I like to cook to music. I hum along to the music. I grab a wok and lightly dribble oil inside. I put it on the stove, putting it on high. I chop up the rest of the vegetables and throw them into the wok. I toss them around a little before leaving them cook. I go into the fridge again, getting out the prawns. I go into the pantry and get the noodles. I find myself singing along to the music without realising, just off in my own little world.

 _My hands, they're strong_

 _But my knees were far too weak_

I put both ingrediants into the wok, tossing it around some more. I put some sweet chilli and vege stock in to make a sauce. I get a little of Mom's red wine and tip it in, lighting it on fire. It's a dull blue flame. I bring the bottle to my lips, taking a small sip before putting it down again. Mom always buys the nice red wine when she has the spare money to buy it.

 _To stand in your arms_

 _Without falling to your feet_

After a few seconds, I take it off the heat and the flame slowly goes out.

 _But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew_

I make quick work of getting it into bowls while it's still really hot and flambeed. I shove a pair of chopsticks in both and put one in front of Derek. I jump up on the counter, crossing my legs. I go to start eating and notice Derek hasn't moved. "Uh..dude? You okay?" I ask him. He snaps out of it, looking at me. "Oh god, I was singing again, wasn't I?" I sigh. He smiles, properly. I feel my stomach flutter at the sight.

"Yeah" he says. "And again, it was good"

"Shut up" I wave him off. He chuckles. "Eat" I say.

"Thanks" he says, picking his bowl up.

"You uh..you feeing okay?" I ask the wolf, a little worried about his sudden trace back there.

"I'm okay" he nods. "I just haven't seen someone cook like that in a long time" he says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, turning on my butt to face him.

"So naturally" he says. "Not since my Mom" he says. I smile softly at him.

"I don't know much about your Mom but i'm sure she was an amazing woman so i'll take that as a compliment" I say.

"You should, she was" Derek nods.

"Thanks" I say. He picks up the chopsticks, looking at them like they're a 1000 piece puzzle. I grin. "You don't know how to use them, do you?" I ask him.

"Uh..no" he admits sheepishly.

"It's okay, neither does Scott" I say. I move across the counter so i'm sitting in front of him on the bar. "Okay, watch" I say, holding mine up. He follows. "This one like a pencil and this one.." I trail off, laughing when he struggles. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh" I say. I put mine down and brings my hands to his to help him. I position his fingers. He's got strong hands, i'd hate to be on the recieving end of one of his punches. You can tell he's worked hard, weither it was on an actual job or not, that's a mystery. But he's definitely not afraid to get his hands dirty, that much I can tell. "See? Easy" I say. He clicks them together, smiling triumphantly. I smile softly at him, admiring this different side of him i'm getting to see. We lock eyes and I find I can't make myself look away. He narrows his eyes in the slightest, catching me staring. But the longer we both stare, the softer his eyes get.

 _I set fire to the rain_

 _Watched it pour as I touched your face_

After a few long seconds, I force myself to break eye contact. I don't want him to be creeped out or anything, I just..I couldn't pull my eyes away. And i'm not entirely sure why. I pick mine back up and we both start eating.

"This is really good" Derek says.

"Thanks" I smile.

"You know..you should sing more" he says.

"Now you're sucking up" I say, fighting a smile.

"You have to know you've got a good voice" he says.

"Do I look like someone who..wait" I say, realising. "We've had this conversation before" I chuckle. He smiles, remembering too. "But it was about you pretty little mug" I say, pinching his cheek softly, enjoying the way his cheeks darken in the slightest and he tries to brush it off. "Aw, is that a blush?" I tease, grinning.

"Stop" he waves it off, smiling properly. I chuckle. We eat in silence for a little while.

"I told you i'd find the calmer Derek under the crap" I grin smugly.

"I told you i'd find your's too" he says.

"How's that working out for you?" I ask, still grinning.

"Pretty well. I think i'm close to cracking you" he says.

"I'm sure you are" I challenge playfully. "You let me know when you're done figuring out that pieceless puzzle"

"I will" he nods. And then my inner jaguar is whipping it's tail around again. "I can tell a couple things so far" he says.

"Please, don't keep me waiting" I say, slightly sarcastic. He smiles a little more, showing white teeth.

"What you said, that morning when we talked..about us not being so different. You're right, we're not" he says. I nod, not wanting to say something wrong and stop his confessional. "But..I don't think you're mad at the people around you" he says.

"Then who am I mad at?" I ask, interested in his deep thinking.

"You're mad at yourself" he says carefully, looking at me. I bite my lip nervously. "And you bite your lip when you get uncomfortable or nervous" he says. I let my lip go, feeling sheepish. "So I guess that means i'm right?" he asks, voice softer.

"Yeah..guess it does" I say, looking down at my food.

"Can I ask why?"

"It's a long story" I say.

"I got time" he says. I look up at the male, finding he's ready to listen. Both of our heads snap to the sound of the front door opening. Uh..crap. "Or not" he says.

"Go" I tell Derek. He gets up to run but stops.

"Thanks Garfield" he says, kissing my cheek before going out the back door. I grab his bowl and mine, rinsing them in the sink when Stiles and Scott walk in. I'm grinning like an idiot.

"Hey Ash" Stiles says.

"Hey guys, how was school?" I ask them. I turn to them and Scott's eyes are narrowed. "Something wrong?" I ask him.

"It reeks of Derek in here" Scott says, looking right at me.

"He came to make sure I was resting, to make sure I was healing" I say.

"He shouldn't be here when i'm not here" Scott says. "He shouldn't be here at all" Scott says. I roll my eyes, sick of hearing this.

"Weither you like it or not, he's my friend so expect to see more of him" I say with a smirk, Scott frowning.

"No, you can't be friends with Derek Hale?!" Stiles exclaims.

"How are you coping under the full moon?" I ask Scott, changing the subject. Stiles groans, realising i'm blowing him off.

"Alright" he says.

"Just alright?" I ask.

"I'll be fine" he assures me.

"Okay. I'm going upstairs, i'll come in when _it_ starts" I tell them. Scott nods. I give them a smile and go upstairs to my room.

..

"Ash!" Stiles yells. I race out of my room and over to Stiles.

"What?" I ask him. Stiles pushes the door open and the room's empty. "I don't understand?"

"Uh..Scott got out"

"What?!" I exclaim.

"I know, you helped me chain him down but he still got out" Stiles sighs.

"Okay, stay here. I'm going after him" I tell Stiles. He nods and I jump out his window, following his scent. It takes me to a carpark. I see Scott on the top of a car. Crap. Jackson and Allison are inside. Before I can grab him, someone else tackles him off. I chase after them. I find Derek trying to calm Scott down. Scott pushes away from him, swiping out at him. "Scott!" I yell, going after him. Derek dodges each of his attacks. Derek catches Scott's arm.

"Scott, stop!" Derek yells. I lunge forward, grabbing Scott when he goes to attack Derek. Scott turns and grabs my arm, making Derek lunge forward. I bend the arm of Scott's that's holding me back until the beta falls to the ground. I grab his collar and roar in his face, forcing him to back down. He scrambles away from me. He's breathing heavily. Derek shifts back, coming to stand beside me.

"What's happening to me?" Scott asks.

"Exactly what the alpha wants to happen" Derek says. When Scott's calmed down, I do too, shifting back. I help Scott to his feet.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, checking him over.

"Nothing that won't heal" he nods. I sigh in relief. I bring an arm to my torso when I feel an odd pull. "Ash?" he asks.

"I'm-i'm fine" I say. I hold it tighter, trying to mask my pain. "Crap" I say, feeling blood soak through the bandage. Maybe I should have taken it easy, left Derek to restrain Scott. Both males come over to me, concerned. "It's fine, just opened the wound. Let's just get Scott home" I say. Derek helps Scott walk as i'm holding my torso.

..

..

 **Yeah..she probably should have rested. Not her style ;P You finally learn more about Ashlee's past next chapter! Favourite, follow and review!**


	11. Bottled Up Emotions

**Shout out to TheMorbidGal, momentum123, Serena Sterling, Bree and Guest for reviewing! Thank you Guest! I knew I was writing it wrong but I couldn't think of the proper word so thanks :) I knew burrow meant to dig a hole I just thought it'd be like digging your eyebrows, like a more intense frown. I was wrong :P Bree, i'm currently working on some finishing chapters for my other fics between my new fics and work. I'll hopefully have some new chapters up for them in the next few days. Some I will continue, like 'Coming Home' since Jade's still pregnant :) Argh! I can't describe how much I love you guys for your continued support! Thanks so much! You get a look into Ashlee's past in this chapter and some Ashlee/Derek feels too! Enjoy :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I stand in Scott's room doorway as Derek brings him in and puts him on the bed. I just want to make sure Scott gets in okay, he's a little roughed up himself, exhausted from the full moon's power. I have to say, i'm feeling tired too.

"Okay, i'm going to bed. Do whatever and get some sleep Scott" I say.

"Okay, goodnight Ash. Are you sure you're okay?" he asks. I nod with a small smile.

"Yeah, i'm fine" I lie with a smile, an arm still slung over my torso. "So get some sleep Scott" I say. I turn to Derek. "Night Derek" I say.

"Night" Derek says, giving me a slight upturn of his lips. I go down to my room and shut the door. I go into my bathroom and shut the door. I peel my shirt off and take the bandage off. Argh. Gross. I sit in the bath, sighing. It's bleeding again, quite abit. Not enough for me to pass out though. I'm too tired to deal with this crap again. I grab a towel off the rack and hold it over the wound, unsure what to do. It'll stop eventually..right? After a couple minutes, I hear my room door open. Crap. I do my best to cover myself with the towel as I don't have a shirt on, only a bra. "I'm coming in" Derek says, outside the door. Derek comes in slowly. I smile sheepishly. "Why am I not suprised?" Derek sighs. He holds his hand out and I take it with my free hand. He pulls me to my feet. "Let me look at it" I move the towel so it's off my wound but covering my chest. I nod, giving him the all-clear.

"Just don't touch it..hurts like hell" I admit quietly.

"That's because most of that healing you did, you've just gone and teared it open" Derek tells me. I frown and groan. "Relax, i'll cover it again and you'll be fine" he says.

"Thanks" I smile. He starts filing through the bathroom cupboards. I groan even louder when my phone starts ringing. "Can't I be left alone for like 5 minutes?" I ask, more myself. I awkwardly reach into my pocket for my phone while trying to keep my chest covered. "Yeah?" I answer it.

"Ashlee?" I know that voice.

"James" I realise. "Wait, did you get my number from my phone?" I ask, remembering him giving me his but I didn't give him mine.

"Maybe.." he says awkwardly. He stole my number. Um..okay..

"Now's actually not the best time to talk.." I say awkwardly.

"Oh. Okay. I'll call another time" he says.

"Okay" I nod.

"Have a nice night beautiful" he says.

"Yeah, you as well" I say. We both hang up. I toss my phone onto the sink bench. It's awkwardly quiet in the room.

"He sounds nice" Derek says flatly, breaking it.

"Nice isn't really my thing, obviously" I joke. Derek's lips upturn a little but he doesn't smile properly. He always does that, I wish he'd just smile. I like his smile. I want to see it more. "Why do you think I hang out with you?" I tease.

"I was hoping it was my amazing personality" he jokes, making me laugh. "There" Derek says, standing back up properly. I look down at it.

"Thanks" I smile.

"Don't go tearing it open again" he warns half-heartedly.

"We'll see" I chuckle. I throw the towel into the bath, quickly crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'll see you around then" he says. "Hopefully sometime soon?" he adds.

"Yeah, course" I nod with a smug smile. " And thanks, for this and for helping with Scott" I say.

"Thanks for lunch" he smiles a little.

"Anytime" I grin back. "Now go on, puppies don't do well in the dark" I tease.

"Ha-ha" he says. He turns around and walks out. I close my door, giving him another little smile when he turns around. He turns back to keep walking but I see his smile come out too. Finally. That gorgeous smile came out.

..

I hit 4th, Kate in an SUV right on our tail. All I wanted was to have a good night's sleep. But no. I've got dumb and dumber in Derek's camaro with me, Kate friggin' Argent of my tail and Derek's being chased by the cops. Great. Awesome, exactly how I wanted to spend my night. I drift around the corner, the camaro's tires squeling. All of a sudden, Kate disappears. Stiles turns his hand-held police radio on.

 _'All units, suspect is on foot heading into the ironworks'_

You've got to be kidding me Derek. I hit 5th, taking a hard left, coming toards the ironworks. Kate's not getting to Derek before me. No hunter is touching him.

"Where to now?" I ask Stiles.

"Left again, right here!" he says. Another hard left, the camaro sliding out a little too wide. I get control over it again easily though. I slam on the brakes, seeing Derek. Stiles opens the door. "Get in!" he yells. He jumps in the back in time for Derek to leap into the car. I take off again, leaving Chris Argent and his rifle in the rearview mirror. I hit 2nd, 3rd, 4th.

"Thank god it's you driving" Derek says to me. I smile proudly.

"What's wrong with my driving?" Stiles asks.

"We'd be dead already" Derek says. I swing out on a right, sliding out onto the main road. I dodge a few cars to get back in our lane.

"Okay, now you can slow down Ash" Scott says, gripping the handles on the ceiling tightly. I grin, chuckling to myself. "What part of laying low do you not understand?" Scott asks Derek.

"He was right there, the alpha, I had him. Then the friggin' police showed up" he says angerily.

"Hey, they're just doing their jobs" Stiles says, defending his Dad. Derek glares at him in the backseat.

"Yeah. Thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state" Derek snaps at Scott.

"Can we seriously get past that? I made a dumbass mistake, I get it" Scott says. I just focus on driving, listening to the amusing arguement between the 3 males. There's so much testosterone in this car, listening to them argue pettingly is sort of funny.

"Alright!" Stiles yells, shutting them up. "How did you find him?" Stiles asks Derek. Derek looks at him then looks away again, ignoring him.

"Can you try to trust us for at least half a second?" Scott asks him.

"Yeah, all of us. Not just Ash" Stiles says, making Derek glare at him again. "Or just Ash" he decides, shrinking into the backseat with Scott. I chuckle to myself, keeping my eyes trained on the road.

"The last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found 2 things. One was a guy named Harris-" Derek starts.

"Our chemistry teacher?" Stiles asks, sticking his head up the front. I reach behind me and shove him back into his seat.

"Trying to drive here guys" I remind them.

"Why Harris?" Scott asks.

"I don't know yet" Derek says.

"What's the second thing?" I ask him.

"Some kind of symbol" he says, pulling a piece of paper from his jacket and unfolding it. He shows it to us. Scott inhales sharply.

"Scott. Do you know what it is?" I ask him, looking at him in the mirrors.

"I've..i've seen it on a necklace" he says.

"What necklace?" Derek asks him.

"Allison's necklace" Scott sighs. I grit my teeth, staring at Scott in the mirrors. "Don't even start Ash-"

"Are you serious? Are you starting to see a pattern here?" I ask him. "They're dangerous Scott" I say.

"They're dangerous? He's dangerous!" Scott defends, pointing at Derek.

"Seriously-" Derek starts.

"Shut up" I cut him off. This is mine and Scott's fight. If Derek and Stiles are smart, they'll stay out of it. "Scott, they're hunters. What part of 'werewolf hunter' are you having trouble with?" I ask him.

"Allison isn't like them-"

"But she will be" I say.

"It doesn't matter"

"Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter?!" I ask him angerily.

"Ash..maybe we should calm down-" Stiles tries.

"Shut up! Both of you shut up!" I snap, looking between Stiles and Derek. "She will be like them you idiot. And you know what she's going to do when she finds out what you are? When her family finds out what you are? They will kill you Scott!" Stiles and Derek look between us awkwardly, sharing looks with each other.

"Don't act like you care!" Scott shoots back.

"Are you serious?!" I ask him angerily.

"You left us behind! All of us! If you gave a crap about your family you wouldn't have done that!" Scott yells. I slam on the brakes, getting out of the car quickly.

"Oh crap" Stiles sighs. Scott gets out too. I kick the door shut so Stiles doesn't get out too. Derek gets out though.

"Get back in the car" I tell him, flashing green eyes at him. "Derek, this is between me and him _only_. Get back in the car" I say. He stares for a moment longer before getting back into his car with a sigh. I turn back towards an angry Scott. "Go ahead, say what you need too" I say.

"You can't keep telling me what I can and can't do Ash! My big sister left a long time ago!" he yells.

"Yes, I left you! You and Mum and Tyler! But i'm sorry! You don't think I regret that decision every day?!" I yell at him, getting upset.

"Well do you?! Because sometimes I wonder!" Scott yells back.

"I regret it _every_ single day, you have no idea" I tell him, eyes starting to well with tears.

"How'd you do it Ash? How'd you walk away from us?" Scott asks. I clam up, feeling trapped. I hear both car doors open.

"Hey..come on guys" Stiles coaxes, walking over with Derek.

"How?" Scott asks me, stepping towards me, his anger and hurt radiating from him. Stiles goes to his side, put his hand out so he can't get any closer to me. Derek comes to my side, eyes watching Scott's movements closely.

"You wanna know how?" I ask him, taking a step of my own closer to him. Derek catches my arm, stopping me from getting any closer to Scott. This can very easily, and very quickly, turn into an actual fight.

"Yeah, I would" Scott nods.

"I don't know" I say. "I have no idea-"

"You don't know? You don't why you walked out on your family?!" he asks angerily. I can feel how uncomfortable my jaguar is. How desperate she is to get the hell out of this situation. I need an out.

"Fine! You want your answer so badly?! Maybe it was me being scared my father would put his hands on me again!" I yell at Scott emotionally. Noone says anything. Those words ring through the air, hanging heavy between the 4 of us. I didn't exactly want the other 2 knowing what happened, especially the way I just told them, but I needed an out. I pull my arm out of Derek's grip. "Don't ever say that I don't care because I do! You and Mum are all I have now and I can't lose you, not again. If I do, I.." I trail off, catching my breath. "Make sure they get home okay" I tell him before turning on my heel and taking off into the woods.

"Don't walk away from me!" Scott yells after me. I ignore him, sprinting away. "Ash!"

"Back off" I hear Derek growl. He..he stood up for me againist Scott? I'm suprised but I am grateful because Scott doesn't yell out again. I stop when I come to a clearing. I hold my tears back. I spin towards the sound when I hear a twig snap. I check above me as well this time.

 _'Stay out of my way'_

I look around, searching for the person the voice came from..or thing. I hear loud, fast footsteps. The alpha. I turn and run. I'm not fighting him again. I'm still hurt from last time.

 _'Stay away from Scott!'_

I keep running. That is until I collide with something hard.

"Ash?" Derek says, steadying me quickly.

"The alpha, he's here" I tell him. Derek pulls me behind him, eyes turning blue.

"Stay behind me" Derek says, eyes scanning the area.

 _'STAY OUT OF MY WAY!'_

The alpha roars making my head hurt. His fast, heavy footsteps go the other way.

"He's gone" Derek says. "Are you okay?" he asks me. I nod.

"I'm fine, he didn't touch me" I say.

"That's not what I meant" Derek says, looking at me with worry. "You're crying" he says, frowning. I look at him confused. I bring my finger to touch under my eyes. Sure enough, wet. With tears. I can smell the salt.

"I'm fine" I say, pulling away from the wolf's hold. "Did they get home safe?" I ask Derek. Derek nods.

"Stiles decided to stay with Scott for a little while..calm him down" Derek tells me. "I wanted to come find you, make sure you were okay" he says. I smile weakly at his concern for me.

"Thanks" I say. "Looks like i'm sleeping in my car again tonight" I sigh.

"Because that worked out for you so well last time" Derek says sarcastically but not snarkily.

"Well I don't have much of a choice. Where else am I supposed to go?" I ask him. "I can't go home, I don't know anywhere else. I can't exactly go to Stiles' either"

"Why don't you just come home with me then?" he suggests.

"I mean..are you sure?" I ask.

"Come on" he says, walking away. I glance back towards the road and then to Derek's back as he walks away. I catch up to Derek, walking beside him.

"Thank you" I say.

"No problem" he says.

..

We walk into his house, Derek shutting the door behind us. I walk over to the stairs, sitting down. Derek comes and stands in front of me, leaning againist the stair rail.

"What Scott said, he didn't mean" Derek says, breaking the silence. I smile sadly.

"Thanks but..he did mean it" I say.

"No, I think he was just mad" Derek says. "I don't know Scott like you do, but I do know he missed you when you were gone"

"I know he missed me. And I know he's angry..he's got every right to be angry at me" I sigh, hiding my head in my hands as I feel my eyes prick with tears. "He's too good a person to tell me..but he hates me"

"Don't say that, he doesn't" Derek says, moving to sit beside me.

"He does" I say, voice watery as my eyes fill with tears. "And if you knew what happened, you'd probably hate me too" I say.

"I doubt it" he says. "You're not a bad person, Ash" I shake my head, wiping my eyes.

"My old pack, the pack I was apart of..they used to kill people, for no reason, like it was a game. That's the kind of person I am" I say.

"Did you hurt anyone innocent?" he asks. I shake my head.

"No, never. It's why I ran from them. I couldn't stand there and watch anymore. I'd rather be an omega than be with them"

"Then you're not like them" Derek says. "You stayed with them for as long as you could because they were your pack and you're loyal. But you walked away from them, you're not like them"

"I want to believe that" I smile sadly.

"Why can't you?" he asks.

"Because.."

"Because why?"

"Because 2 years ago..I watched my family fall apart right in front of me..and I-I walked away" I say shakily. "I may not have hurt anyone innocent but I did something worse. I hurt the ones I love, the ones i'm supposed to make sure never get hurt"

"Ash..what happened 2 years ago?" he asks me. He's gotten curious about my past a couple times, i've always brushed it off. I always brush it off. I always brush it off because I feel so guilty and it makes me hate myself to think about it. I swallow back the lump in my throat and take a deep breath. I need to get this out. I need to tell someone, and I trust Derek.

"My trip was only supposed to go for a month or two" I tell him. "That night..Dad was home and he was drunk. He was a big drinker. I don't know why but..but he was so mad at me. I hadn't done anything wrong, he was just mad. So when I grabbed my bags to leave, he told me I couldn't go. I just ignored him, I knew he'd been drinking for hours. I said my goodbyes to Scott and to my Mom and Tyler. But when I went to say bye to my Dad..he.." I trail off, the memory causing me physical pain.

"Hey, it's okay" Derek says. "He's not here. It's just us" he says. I nod, swallowing back more tears.

"It..it was the first and last time he..he ever hit me" I recall, looking into my lap. That's not a sentence I ever wanted to repeat. I feel Derek tense up but he doesn't say anything. "He said I was a waste of his time and he-he hit me. I-I didn't know what to do. It was like I was in shock. I always knew he was nasty but I never thought he'd draw blood from me" I say, starting to get really upset. "I panicked. I told him I hated him and that I was never coming back. They all freaked out. Mum was yelling at Dad and Scott and Tyler were crying. I went to my car and Scott pleaded, he begged me to stay. He was so scared and told him I couldn't. I've never seen him so terrified in his life. My 2 year old brother begged me to stay and I said no" I say, my tears falling. I wipe them with my sleeves. "I got in my car and left them all and didn't turn back" I say, squeezing my eyes shut. "How the hell could I leave them like that? How could I leave Scott like that?" I ask, cheeks soaked with tears. "A few days later, Mom called me. She told me Dad was gone and he'd taken Tyler with him, she apologised a thousand times. When she gave the phone to Scott, he cried and asked me to come home. And you know what I said? I told them it didn't matter..I-I still wasn't c-coming back" I open my eyes, letting my tears fall. I curl in on myself, sobbing. Derek pulls me into him, bringing his arms around me. I welcome his comfort and grip his shirt tightly, crying into it. He rubs his nose into my neck in a show of wolf comfort. His wolf wants to comfort my jaguar as well. We don't say anything after that. He rubs my back and let's me get it all out.

"Come on" Derek says, helping me stand. We go over to the couch. I lay down, curling in on myself. Derek gets on too, laying behind me. He brings his arm up under mine so he can hold my wrist as I keep knawing at my nail out of anxiety. "You're not a waste of time" Derek whispers. "Okay?" I nod, trying to make myself stop crying but it's like flood gates. And they've been locked shut for years. "Sleep this off. When you wake up, everything will be fine" he says softly. I know that's a lie. He knows it's a lie. But it's the principal, he's comforting me. And it's working. I take my hand away from my mouth, threading my fingers through his and squeezing tight. I shut my eyes, hoping that I can sleep this off and when I do wake up, everything will be it's slightly screwed up version of 'fine'.

..

..

 **Feels! And you learnt alot more about Ashlee and her family's history! And who the heck is Tyler? Favourite, follow and review!**


	12. Overwhelmed

**Argh..I don't think all my readers are going to like this chapter. I can feel the hate coming . I think it's a good idea and i've already written future chapters and I like the way it works so I hope you do too :) You'll know what I mean soon enough. Shout out to DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103, Bree, TheMorbidGal, Bree again, Serena Sterling, momentum123 and Tesla424 for reviewing! Wow! Amazing response, thank you all! I also love their relationship and how's it's progressing :) It'll be progressing more and more through my updates now too! Yes, this is a Ashlee x Derek (Dashlee :P) fic :) Love all the adjectives again Serena :D Yes, Ashlee's story is a sad one like Derek's (two wounded souls is** _ **exactly**_ **how i'd describe them momentum123 :D) but it makes her the way she is, it's built her character and made her strong and protective :) Bree, yes I will try my hardest :) But Bree, Just curious, what's the diffrence between Tyler being the brother or the cousin? But..I have actually been dropping hints to who he is in previous chapters. What I wrote in the beginning of this note is about Tyler but I won't hold you up, read on brave knights! I don't know why you're brvae knights this time but you are! Embrace it!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up, my eyes fluttering open, stinging. Probably from all the crying I did last night. A soft smile comes to my lips when I see Derek's still with me, head laying againist my chest.

"Derek?" I call out quietly. The male stirs, opening his eyes. He sits up, realising he's laying on me.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'm not gonna lie..not really" I shrug, sitting up too. "But there's a huge weight off my shoulders thanks to you. Thank you for last night. I'm sorry for being a babbling mess but thank you for being there when I needed someone" I say honestly. Derek gives me a small smile.

"You weren't a mess" he chuckles a little. "You should know..you're not like your old pack and Scott could never hate you. Neither could I. What happened, happened. It's in the past. Things may have been said but you're back now, you're back with them" Derek says.

"Thanks Derek" I say with a small smile. He squeezes my hand and I squeeze his back. My phone starts to ring and I sigh. Derek's face becomes confused when I don't answer it. After a few long moments, it stops.

"Shouldn't you have answered that?" Derek asks.

"It's either Scott, Mum, Stiles or James and i'm really not in the mood for either" I say. He nods in understanding.

"What are you gonna do? Go home or..?" Derek asks. I think it over.

"I don't know" I shrug. My phone buzzes and I sigh again, grabbing it. I open the text, reading it.

 _I don't know where you are but I need you and your brother home right now. I need to talk to you both, it's urgent. -Mama McCall_

I frown.

"What's wrong?" Derek asks.

"I don't know" I say again. "It's my Mom..something's up"

"Come on, i'll drive you home" he says.

"Thanks" I say, getting up with him.

..

When Derek pulls up outside my house, Scott's just getting home too. He sees Derek and glares at him. He sees me and turns away, going inside. I take a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose. I don't want to fight with Scott again.

"Call me if you can't stay here. I'll come get you" Derek says. I turn to him with a small smile.

"Thank you" I say. "Dude..I don't know if I can do this" I sigh.

"Your Mom said it was important, yeah?"

"Yeah, she did" I nod. "I need to go in, I know that. I just don't know if I can" I admit, looking into my lap. I smile a little when Derek pulls me to him, kissing my head.

"You can" he assures me with a soft smile. I nod, smiling back. I take a deep breath and get out of the car. I wait until Derek's gone before going inside. I find Mom and Scott sitting at the kitchen table, obviously waiting for me. Scott won't look me in the eye.

"What's wrong?" I ask Mom, sitting down beside her.

"I have some news..I have no idea how either of you are going to take it" she says nervously. I look at her, concern shining in my eyes, Scott's too. "I was..I was on the phone to your father earlier" she says. My eyes narrow.

"Why?" I ask.

"It's about Tyler" she says. I feel my heart drop. Scott and I have another brother, much younger. He wasn't much older than 2 when I left. From what Mom's told me, Dad managed to get custody of him and took him when he left as well. My father's let him visit a couple times a year but that's it for Mom and Scott. I don't think i'll see him again, I haven't since the night I left. And I hate that.

"What's wrong with Tyler?" Scott asks, voice barely above a whisper. Scott and I are both looking at Mom in expectantcy and concern.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong" she says, eyes starting to water. We both move closer to her, holding her hand or rubbing her back. "I'm sorry" she chuckles watery.

"It's okay" I tell her.

"Tyler's fine, I promise. But um..Rafael has been asked to go deep undercover for an assignment" she starts to explain. "He could be doing so for months, maybe even a year" she continues.

"Mom..what does that mean for Tyler?" I ask nervously.

"Raf's offered to sign the custody papers..back over to me" she tells us. "It was either that or he goes to live with Rafael's mother. So..so Tyler's coming home" she drops the bomb.

"Tyler..he's-he's.." I try to say it. My every fibre, my insides, are frozen, shocked.

"Yeah. He's coming home Ash" Mom says. I can't help the sudden wave of emotion that washes through me. I wipe my eyes quickly before any tears can fall.

"Good, that's good" I nod with a smile.

"He's looking forward to moving home again" she says. I stand up, feeling far too emotional for my liking.

"I'm happy, i'm re-really happy" I assure them. "I just..I-I need some space" I say, heading for the door.

"Ash?" Mom says.

"No, she's okay" Scott stops her. "She needs some time. Now tell me, when?" Scott asks excitedly. Scott and I might not be on the best terms but he knows what i'm like, and i'm grateful he stopped Mom from stopping me. I get in my car, taking deep breaths. I pull out, heading nowhere in particular, just needing the open air and space my car driving through the empty streets provides. But I find myself on the same dirt roads I always wind up on. The ones I hold near and dear. The ones I would drive along a couple years ago, young Scott and Stiles in the backseat. I love these roads. I grew up on these roads. I learnt how to drive on these roads. I got my first speeding ticket on these roads. I had my first street race on these roads. I won my first race on these words. I was arrested for the first time on these roads for street racing. These roads are important to me and they're always here when I need them. They're like a best friend in a weird way. When the tears become too much, when it's too hard to hold them back and too hard to see, I skid to a stop on the side of the road. And I let them fall. I lean forward and rest my head on the steering wheel. My baby brother's coming home. Oh my god. It's been so long. It's really overwhelming. And they can't see how I deal with that. I don't want to cry in front of my family. I open my door and sit with my legs out of it, head in hands, breathing in and out. In, out. Slow, even. With shaky hands, I find myself calling Derek. I'm not even sure why.

"Ash?" he answers after a few rings.

"D-Derek?"

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks. I try to stiffle my sobs. "Ash? What happened?" he asks, more urgency in his tone now.

"Can you..can you meet me somewhere?" I ask him.

"Yeah. Where?" he asks.

"The-the road we raced on" I say, sniffing back my tears.

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way" he says.

"Th-thanks" I say, hanging up quickly when I start to cry news..it's really overwhelming. I don't know why I called Derek, I didn't even realise I was doing it until he answered. I guess he makes me feel safe, and I could really use a good friend right now. I hide my face in my hands again. And I don't look up when I hear the rumble of Derek's camaro pull up behind me. I wipe my eyes best I can when I hear him walking over. He comes to stand in front of me.

"Ash, what's wrong?" he asks.

"I'm okay" I tell him, trying to stop the tears. "I just needed you" I say, not caring how bold it sounds.

"Well i'm here now, okay?" he says, not phased by my boldness. "You gotta tell me what happened"

"Nothing" I say, brushing it off, trying so hard to stop crying.

"Is that why you're sitting out here in your car crying?" he asks.

"It's not what you think" I sigh.

"Really? 'Cause it looks like you're really upset and-"

"My brother's coming home Derek" I blurt out. Derek looks at me, confused.

"What?" he asks. "Your brother?"

"I uh..I never told you outright but I do have another brother. After I left..and my father left, he took custody of him" I say, looking down at my hands. "He's 4 now..and..and he's-he's coming home to live with Mom again really soon" I tell him, looking up at him with watery eyes.

"That's good..right?" he asks, crotching down in front of me. I nod.

"Yeah, it is"

"Then why are you crying?" he asks. I wipe my eyes, hating that I broke in front of him again.

"Because I haven't seen him since he was 2. _2_. He's 4 now. And he probably won't even remember who I am" I sniff back my tears. "And that's not okay" Derek grabs my hands, rubbing the backs of them with his thumbs. I give him a small grateful smile for the comfort he's providing.

"What's his name?" Derek asks.

"What?"

"Your little brother, what's his name?"

"His name's Tyler" I tell him. Derek nods, recalling me mentioning a 'Tyler' before.

"What does he look like?" Derek asks. I smile softly, seeing the toddler in my head.

"He's the cutest thing i've ever since" I say, making Derek chuckle. "He's got black hair and light blue eyes. Of course, he got Scott's crocked jaw thing too. He's practically a spitting image of Scott"

"And that's cute to you?" Derek teases. I laugh lightly, nudging him. "No really, he sounds cute. I just didn't want to see you cry anymore" he admits. I smile at his concern for me.

"I'm not upset. I'm just..Mom just told us and it was a little overwhelming, you know? I didn't expect him to come home"

"Just like your Mom and brother about you" Derek says.

"Yeah" I nod. "I guess I can see why Scott and I bump heads sometimes. I probably shouldn't have barged back in their lives like I did" I say.

"You barging back in their lives was a good thing" Derek says.

"Yeah? How's that?" I ask him.

"I got to meet you" he says. I can't help the grin that breaks out across my face.

"And we got arrested" I remind him, amused.

"Hey, we bonded in those cells" he chuckles. I grin.

"Yeah, if you can call that bonding then sure" I say.

"We both walked out unharmed, I say that's a good thing" Derek smiles.

"I guess" I say, returning his smile.

"How was it? With Scott I mean" he asks.

"He won't even look at me" I say with a sad sigh.

"He'll come around" Derek assures me.

"I hope so" I say.

"But don't think about that right now, okay? You're brother's coming home soon, you're gonna have to up your game" he teases. I laugh.

"Hey, I can handle a 4 year old"

"Are you sure?" Derek asks. "I've heard they're nightmares" he smiles.

"Watch it Der, i'll teach Tyler to kick werewolf ass" I say playfully. He chuckles. His phone buzzes and he looks at it.

"It's Stiles" he says, sounding confused. "He thinks he has a lead on the alpha" Derek says, eyes widening.

"We should head over there" I say.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" he asks.

"Yeah" I nod. "I'm okay, it's a good thing"

"Okay" he nods.

"We'll drop your car at your house then go" I say and he nods again.

..

"What are you doing?" I ask Derek as he goes for Stiles' window.

"I'm wanted. His Dad's the sheriff" Derek reminds me.

"Oh" I nod. "Well..i'm going to use the door. See you inside" I chuckle. He nods and climbs up the wall. I shake my head fondly before knocking on the front door. John answers.

"Morning Ash" he smiles.

"Good morning" I smile back. He moves, letting me in. "Is Stiles in?" I ask.

"Yeah, he's upstairs. Go on up" John nods. I smile and start walking. John catches my arm lightly and I stop, looking at him. "Stiles came home late last night. He said Scott needed him because you two had a..disagreement. Are you okay?" John asks me. I nod. John sighs and lets me go. He knows I don't like to talk about my feelings but he's always tried to get me to open up more. I start walking up the stairs and stop, turning back to him again.

"Um.." I say. John turns to me, suprised i'm going to say something. "I was upset but i'm feeling a little better now" I say honestly. "Thank you for asking" I say. I should try to stop bottling up all my emotions. Otherwise, i'm afraid i'll have a big breakdown like I did last night. I'm glad Derek wanted to be there for me, that he comforted me. I trust him so i'm not worried about him telling anyone the things I told him.

"Oh..well.." John's definitely suprised at my words. "I'm here, anytime you need me" John assures me.

"Thanks" I smile softly.

"Now go on. Stiles would have heard you, he'll be waiting" John smiles back. I nod and jog up the stairs, walking into his room. I stop, watching Stiles and Derek straighten each other's jackets. I internally sigh in relief finding that Scott's not here.

"Am I interrupting something boys?" I tease. They both look at me, cringing at the implication. I chuckle, closing Stiles' door. "So, what lead?" I ask Stiles, sitting in his computer chair. Stiles glares at Derek, walking over. Derek lunges forward, scaring Stiles successfully. "Put your junk away, both of you. Come show me what you've found" I say, the second part to Stiles. I make an 'oof' sound when Stiles plonks himself in my lap, knocking the wind out of me. "You're so not the little kid you used to be" I say to Stiles. Stiles laughs. He used to sit on my knee all the time when he was a kid. "So, can you tell us what you've found? I feel like i'm going to explode if I keep waiting" I say.

"Firstly, Scott hasn't gotten Allison's necklace" Stiles says. I groan. "There's something else we can try though"

"What's that?" Derek asks, standing beside us.

"The night we were trapped in the school, Scott sent a text to Allison telling her to meet him there" Stiles says.

"And?" I ask.

"And? And Scott didn't send the text" Stiles says.

"Right..you sort of smashed his phone" I say, looking at Derek. Derek fights a grin.

"Well can you find out who sent it?" Derek asks Stiles.

"Not me. But I think I know someone who can" Stiles says.

"You can tell by your voice that this is going to suck for somebody" I say knowingly.

"Won't be you, I promise" Stiles smirks. I chuckle and glance at Derek.

..

I sit on Stiles' bed, watching Stiles and his not-so-much friend/lab partner Danny argue. Stiles is trying to get him to trace the text but Danny refuses, saying he was only 13 when he got into law trouble for doing that and he's here to do lab work, that's all.

"Who are they again?" Danny asks Stiles quietly, sitting down and glancing at Derek and I.

"He's my cousin..Miguel" Stiles says, talking about Derek. Derek looks up at him, unimpressed. He's trying to act casual, reading a book in a chair. He's far too stiff to pull it off.

"And her? Who's she?" Danny asks, talking about me.

"Scott's older sister, Ashlee" Stiles tells me. Danny turns to me, pointing at me.

"I know you" Danny says.

"Oh..cool" I say awkwardly.

"You know my friend James, the barista" Danny says, smiling.

"Oh..uh..yeah, I do" I say, smiling and trying not to be awkward as Stiles and Derek are both looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"He's been talking about you" Danny says. I cringe awkwardly. I think this James guy is more into me than I am for him..okay, I know for a fact he is. Next time he calls, i'll let him know i'm not interested. He's nice and I don't want to shut the guy down but I also don't want to string him along either. So next time he calls, i'll tell him the truth. "He's my friend and all, but i'd be careful. He 'dates' alot of girls" Danny tells me. Hmm..that doesn't sound suspicious at all.

"What? Um, and who is this James person?" Stiles asks, looking between Danny and I. I clear my throat pointedly, nodding to the computer. Stiles narrows his eyes further but turns back to the computer. "So, Danny-"

"Is that blood on his shirt?" Danny asks Stiles. We all turn to look at Derek. Yeah..that's blood.

"Yeah, he gets these horrible nose bleeds" Stiles makes up. "Hey Miguel" Stiles says, turning to Derek. Derek looks up, looking pissed off. "I thought I said you could borrow one of my shirts" Stiles says, nodding to his drawers. Derek shuts the book shut, throwing it on the bed as he gets up. Oh..wow. Derek pulls his shirt off and throws it to the ground with an angry huff. I watch in amusement and I may be checking him out..as Derek searches through Stiles' drawers for another shirt. I'm definitely physically attracted to Derek, I knew that the second I met him. But I think there's something more as well..having lunch with him, him letting me cry and vent to him, I think I have found a calmer, a softer Derek. And I think..I think i'm starting to like him. I actually think I may have liked him for awhile.

"Stiles" Derek says, the two males turning back to him. "This, no fit" he says, showing him a shirt. I notice Danny's eyes widen in the slightest, admiring the body in front of him.

"Then try something else on" Stiles says, clearly annoyed with the older man. Stiles turns back to the computer but notices Danny's eyes are still on Derek. Stiles' face clouds with realisation. Danny's into Derek. I was right, this is going to suck for someone. Derek. "Hey, that one looks pretty good, huh? What do you think Danny?" Stiles asks, pointing to Derek who looks ready to murder several kittens, sporting an orange and blue striped shirt.

"It's uh..it's not really his colour" Danny says. Derek looks to me for help.

"Danny's right, not your colour. You should try something else on" I grin, the older wolf glaring at me. Stiles is looking accussingly between Derek and I. What? I'm not allowed to stare now? I'm a girl, he's a boy, I have my rights Stilinski. Derek lifts the shirt off over his head and I rack my eyes down his body. Stiles was right, this does not suck for me at all.

"You swing for a different team but you still play ball, don't you Danny boy?" Stiles asks. I throw a hand over my mouth, laughter threatening to pour from it.

"You're a horrible person" Danny says to Stiles.

"I know, it keeps me awake at night. Anyway..about that text.." Stiles says.

"Stiles!" Derek snaps. We all turn to look at him again. "None of these fit" he says angerily. One more look at Derek and Danny's caving in. I grin as Danny gets to work tracing the text. Derek sits back down in a baggy grey tee. I give him an innocent smile. "I hope you savoured that, you won't be seeing it again" Derek says.

"Don't let it go to your head Cujo, it was strictly for Danny's benefit" I say. Derek makes his 'i'm listening to your heartbeat' look. He looks up at me with a raised eyebrow. "Like I said, don't let it go to your head" I say, grinning a little. Okay, so that was completely for my benefit but who cares?

"I won't. I'll think of it as you getting me back for the other night in your room" he says, grinning at me. I fight a blush as I remember standing in my bra while he was tending to my wound.

"Bad dog" I shoot back.

"Don't let it go to your head Garfield" he says. "I have to admire good bodywork when I see it. I'm talking about your car by the way" he grins. I chuckle.

"I'm sure you are" I grin. Is Derek flirting? I didn't know we was capable of flirting. Not so convincingly like that though. If we were alone and he was still finding a shirt..hmm. Brain, get out of the gutter, we have work to do!

"Okay, done" Danny says. Derek and I get up and go over to the computer. "The text was sent from a computer, this one" Danny says, pointing out the name.

"Registered to that account name?" I ask Danny. Danny nods.

"No, no, that can't be right" Stiles says.

 _Account registered to:_

 _Beacon Hills Hospital - Melissa McCall_

I sigh and back away to sit on the bed again. Mom..what the hell have you gotten yourself into?

..

..

 **Ashlee can finally see she may like Derek more than a friend. And Derek can be quite the flirt when he wants to be ;) We found out who Tyler is! And he's coming home! You'll be seeing a different side of Ashlee with her littlest brother. I just thought there needed to be another OC come in to spice things up. And someone so young is good too. There needs to be someone who's vulnerable and needs to be protected by the pack. It's sort of Stiles in the programme, but come on, he's badass with that bat, he can protect himself as he always shows. And it was practically Scott for Ashlee in this fic but he's more than capable of protecting himself too. Just give Tyler a chance, for me, please :3 Favourite, follow and review!**


	13. The Alpha

**Shout out to Serena Sterling and Bree x3 for reviewing! Yes, flirty Derek is very rare but he comes out now and again ;) And yes, Ashlee likes Cujo, and some people are starting to notice as you'll see in this chapter :P I understand what you mean Bree but i'm glad you're starting to like the idea! There will be Derek/Ash/Tyler moments of course, family fluffiness :3 I wanted to play around for the idea for awhile before actually writing it hence why it took me so long to put this fic online because I was deciding what to do. But having Tyler around will change things and people, including Derek and Ashlee, Scott too :) Anyway..enjoy!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I listen to Stiles talking on the phone to Scott. He's found the necklace but there's nothing but the pendant. It doesn't open or anything. There's nothing written on it. There's nothing that'll help us.

"Okay..just tell my Dad-just tell him i'll be there" Stiles tells Scott.

"Okay. Listen, is Ash with you?" Scott asks. It's on speaker so I can hear him clearly. Both males turn to look at me. I don't say anything. "Um..no, just Derek" Stiles answers. "She's at home" I give him a small thankful smile.

"Nice try Stiles" Scott says, knowing he's lying. "Ash-" I take the phone from Stiles and hang it up quickly. We're not having that conversation, or arguement, in the car with both of them listening. No way. Not again. Both males are still looking at me.

"He's your phone" I say, handing it back to Stiles. He takes it, furrowing his eyebrows. I huff in frustration when both just keep looking at me. "Can you both piss off?" I ask them, needing them to stop looking at me like that. They both snap out of it, looking away as requested.

"You're not gonna make it to that game" Derek says, talking to Stiles.

"And you didn't tell him about our Mom either" I say. Stiles turns to look back at me in the backseat cautiously.

"We're making absolutely sure before we do anything, alright?" Stiles says. "I know Melissa, she's not the alpha, i'm sure of it" he says. I nod sullenly. Yeah, I really hope she isn't.

"By the way, one more thing" Derek says.

"Yeah?" Stiles asks, turning to him. Derek grabs his head, slamming it into the steering wheel.

"Derek!" I scowl.

"What the hell?!" Stiles yelps, holding his head.

"You know what that was for" Derek says. "You're lucky I don't do the same to you" Derek says to me, no malice behind the warning.

"You wanna try?" I taunt half-heartedly.

"Go!" Derek says, pointing to the hospital. Damn straight he's not going to do the same to me. I'll kick his little wolf ass. Stiles and I get out. I reach my hand into Derek's window, smacking him in the back of the head lightly.

"That's for hurting Stiles" I say. He glares up at me, growling non-threateningly. I snap my fangs at him playfully. Stiles walks by my side, smirking smugly. I smack Stiles in the back of the head as well.

"Hey!" he objects.

"You had that coming" I say as we walk in. "What were you thinking? Dangling him like a piece of meat in front of Danny like that?"

"Don't act like you weren't as into it as Danny was" Stiles says, raising an eyebrow. "You were into it, weren't you? Wait..you're into Derek" he accuses.

"Stiles" I warn him.

"You like Derek" he says with wide eyes.

"Shut up Stilinski or i'll hit you again" I threaten half-heartedly. Stiles nods, not saying anymore. Damn. Stiles is a smart one, i'll give him that. We look around, there's noone around? Stiles calls Derek.

"She's not here" Stiles tells him. We walk into Peter's room. "He's not here either" Stiles tells him. My face falls when I realise.

"Stiles, get out right now! It's him! He's the alpha! Both of you, get out!" Derek yells over the phone.

"Stiles, get behind me" I say. He moves so he's behind me.

"You must be Ashlee" Peter says, appearing. I growl at him, eyes turning green.

"Stiles, run" I tell him. He turns to leave.

"What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over" his nurse says. Oh crap.

"You and him..you..oh god, i'm going to die" Stiles says fearfully. I get in front of him again, both adults advancing on us. Derek comes out of nowhere, knocking out Peter's nurse with an elbow to the face.

"That's not nice, she's my nurse" Peter says with mock concern.

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people" Derek corrects. "Get out of the way" he says to Stiles and I. I push Stiles away from Peter, coming to stand beside Derek, my fangs coming out.

"Ash-" Stiles starts.

"Go, get the hell out of here" I say. Derek's not fighting the alpha alone. Before Derek can send me away, Peter starts walking over.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? My own family?" Peter asks Derek. Wait..what?! Peter killed Derek's sister? I thought the hunters did it? Derek roars, shifting in a split second and running at Peter.

"Ash, come on!" Stiles yells, grabbing my arm. Peter's easily beating Derek. I'm torn between getting out with Stiles or helping Derek. When Peter starts to seriously hurt Derek, my mind's made up. No way in hell am I leaving Derek behind like this. Even if I wanted too, my jaguar wouldn't let me.

"Stiles, go!" I tell him, pushing him towards the door.

"No, please, come-"

"Go!" I yell at him. He scrambles for the door. Peter throws Derek through a window, the wolf falling into the glass on the other side. I roar at Peter, making him turn to me. I'm fully shifted now as well.

"Still a rare sight this is, a werejaguar" Peter smirks. "Too bad you're in my way" he says, coming at me. I rush forward, clawing at him. He ducks but I keep up my attack. I anticipate his next move, cutting his dodge short and cutting across his face with my claws. A look of pure rage comes over the alpha. My breath is knocked from me, his claws piercing through my skin, tearing into my healing wound he already put there. He pulls me close to him by the claws in my stomach. He leans forward to whisper in my ear. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that dogs don't play well with cats?" he says before throwing me down the hall. Peter doesn't come after me though, he goes after Derek again. I clutch my stomach. I am completely over tearing this open. I hear quick footsteps coming towards me and I panic, thinking it's Peter again.

"Ash? Come on, stay with me" Stiles says. I grunt in pain as he heaves me up.

"W-wait..we gotta..we gotta get D-Derek" I stutter.

"I'm sorry Ash but no way. We have to leave right now" Stiles says, dragging me out the door. I'm too hurt to fight back.

..

When I wake up, Stiles is sitting on my bed, looking down at me with worry.

"You have to stop getting hurt Ash, please" Stiles sighs.

"How bad is it?" I ask him, still feeling a little drowsey.

"It's healed alot. I gave you a little something to help" Stiles says. I pull myself up, body aching. I look at the scarred wound. "It's healed on the outside but not on the inside, not yet" he says.

"What did you give me?" I ask him.

"Adrenaline" he says, smiling sheepishly. I look at him in shock. "I didn't know what to do, you were bleeding out"

"It's okay, thank you" I say. "Wait..where's Derek?" I ask Stiles.

"I don't know" he sighs.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I ask him, sitting up. "Stiles, where the hell is he?" I ask urgently.

"He was with Peter when we left" Stiles sighs.

"I have to find him" I say, getting up. Stiles steadies me.

"Whoa. You're in no condition to go after him and Peter" Stiles says, stopping me.

"I can't leave him out there with Peter. Come on Stiles, we have to go after them" I say.

"No, not Derek" Scott says, suddenly standing in the doorway. "Jackson" he corrects.

..

I opt to sit in the back of Stiles' jeep as we go after Jackson. Things are still tense between Scott and I. I know he's mad but that's the least of our problems. We find Jackson, broken down, Mr Argent helping him. We offer Jackson a ride and by some 'miracle' Mr Argent gets it to turn over. I watch the man closely as he gets into his car and drives away, watching us. Scott gets out, him and Jackson starting to argue. They start to shove each other so I jump out, getting between them.

"They think you're the second beta" Scott says to Jackson. "I can't protect you, I can't protect anyone" Scott sighs.

"Don't look at me" Stiles defends.

"You won't have too. Get me what I want and I will be fine protecting myself" Jackson says. I see what Stiles meant. This guy is a huge bag of dicks. He's cocky and arrogant and someone needs to teach him to keep his mouth shut. I would _love_ to be that person.

"All it does is make everything worse!" Scott objects. The two continue their banter, me watching Jackson closely for any further advances he takes on Scott. We may not be on the best terms right now but that doesn't mean this douche is allowed to hurt him.

"Me? I drive a porshe" Jackson flaunts. I walk away, going over to his car. "What are you doing?" Jackson asks me. I kick his mirror in. It smashes againist the ground, Scott and Stiles' eyes widening. "You bitch!" Jackson yells, storming towards me. I roar, eyes lighting up green. Jackson stops out of fear.

"Listen jackass, you've got another 5 seconds to get out of here before I do the other one" I say. We watch Jackson get in his porshe. "And keep your mouth shut about this or I will come find you" I warn him. He glares at me and takes off. I turn back to Scott.

"So the Argents think Jackson is you?" I say to Scott. He nods, confirming it. "You know he's going to ruin this for you, right?" I ask Scott.

"Like you ruined his mirror?" Scott asks.

"Yeah, exactly like that" I say seriously.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"He almost gave everything away just before. He's dangerous Scott, in the worst possible way. He's a danger to your secret" I say. "That makes him a danger to your life"

"So what am I supposed to do about it?" Scott asks.

"If he gets you killed, I will rip his head off. And any Argent that helps. _Any_ Argent" I give as an answer, getting back into the jeep.

..

Scott and I are dropped back off at home by Stiles. Scott makes no move to go inside. He turns to me.

"We need to talk about it" he says. I'm suprised but I nod anyway. "I'm sorry for the things I said the other night. I shouldn't have said those things in that way or put you on the spot like that. That was the wrong time and definitely the wrong place for that conversation" he says.

"You're not wrong about that" I say.

"But I was right Ash" he says. I grit my teeth. "You can't tell me that I can't see Allison" he says calmly. "I love her" he says. I let out a breath, keeping myself calm.

"I'm happy you've found somebody Scott but I can't lose you. Despite what you may think, I care about you, more than anybody else. If her family find out about you and they hurt you..I would never forgive myself for that" I say.

"I can look after myself, i'm not your responsi-"

"Yes you are" I cut him off. "It's my job to look out for you"

"Why? Why's it your job?" Scott asks curiously.

"Because..because i'm your sister and I will protect my family-"

"The real reason Ash" Scott says. I sigh and look up at him with watery eyes.

"Because this is all my fault" I admit.

"What are you talking about?" he asks softly.

"If I was here, if I had come back, you would never have gotten bitten, I could have kept you safe" I say. "You wouldn't be in danger, the alpha wouldn't be after you, hunters wouldn't be looking for you..you wouldn't have to be scared" I say.

"Is that what this is about?" Scott asks. "Because of what happened when you left?" he asks. I look away, looking at my feet. "Ash" Scott says. I sniff and wipe my eyes. "Hey" Scott says, grabbing my arm. I look back up at him.

"Yes, okay? I left you when you were so scared and I hate myself for it!" I tell him. "I left you, you and Tyler with our father, I left you two with a threat and I can't forgive myself for that! I just want to make things right! I want to keep you safe from now on" I tell him. Scott's eyes are wide as he looks at me. "I won't leave you with another threat, I just won't" I say. "Not again" Scott looks down, I can smell the salt of his tears as they surface.

"I appreciate the concern Ash, I really do but..I won't stop seeing Allison" he says, meeting my eyes again. I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut. "And I don't wanna fight with you, I hate fighting with you. We have alot of lost time to make up for and I don't want to spend it being angry with each other. I will admit, i'm still angry that you left but I won't hold it againist you. I'm trying to get over it because you're my sister and I love you. Do you think you could try to see past Allison's family and just see her?" he asks me.

"I..I can try" I nod. I don't really have a choice. Allison's obviously really important to Scott. If he's willing to risk his life for her..I should try to turn a blind eye to her family until I can give Scott his cure. I don't want to fight with him. Scott comes up to me and pulls me into a hug. I hug him back tightly. "I need you to do something for me then" I say.

"What's that?" he asks.

"I need you to accept Derek" I say. He pulls back, giving me a questioning look. "He's trying to help us Scott. And he's been there alot for me lately and I don't want him to disappear once this is all dealt with"

"Is something going on with you two?" Scott asks calmly.

"No" I answer honestly because there's not. If I want there to be something, that's another question.

"Okay" Scott nods. "I can try" he says.

"Thank you" I say, giving him a small smile.

"Come on, let's get inside" he says. I nod, following him inside. Scott and I both stop dead in our tracks. When Mom said soon..she meant _soon_ soon, like _now_ soon.

..

..

 **Okay..Ash is going to try accept Scott and Allison together and Scott's going to try accept Derek and Ash as friends. I'm changing it up a little, I want to give the McCalls time to have Tyler around before Peter tries to kill everyone. Some more Ashlee x Derek next chapter too! Favourite, follow and review!**


	14. Suprises

**I finally updated almost all of my other fics for those of you who have been waiting..far too long.. sorry :3 Shout out to Serena Sterling, Bree and Tesla424 for reviewing! I love all the words Serena :) And yay, Scott and Ash have cleared the air! The new Teen Wolf was good, besides the missing Sourwolf :( More Ash and Derek feels to come! I'm glad you guys are interested in Tyler because here he is! Like** _ **right**_ **now!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

It's like slow motion. Scott's hugging Tyler tightly, Mom smiling widely. Then the, much more grown up than I remember, boy is back on his feet and staring at me.

"Ashy" Tyler says, running forward. I fall to my knees, hugging him tightly. I burst out in tears and I couldn't stop them if I tried. I really thought he wouldn't remember me, but he does. And he called me Ashy just like he always used too. I can't put into words how relieved and happy I am right now. No words can describe it. "Ashy, why are you crying?" Tyler asks, his baby blues clouded with worry. I sniff, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. I smile at him.

"I'm just happy Ty" I say. "I missed you so much" I say.

"I missed you too" he says. "You weren't here when I came last year. Where were you?" he asks. I squeeze my eyes shut, starting to cry again. I can't believe I ever walked away from this. Scott comes over, moving Tyler away from me.

"Ash went on holiday Ty" Scott tells him as he leads him into the lounge. "She got to do so many fun things" he tells him with a smile. I fall back, sitting on the ground, head hanging as I cry.

"I'm so sorry baby, I didn't think he'd ask" Mom says, coming to sit down beside me. She rubs my back and I lean into her touch.

"You don't have to apologise" I assure her. "I should be the one apologising"

"No, no that's in the past" she hushes me. "We're not gonna talk about that anymore, okay?" she says. I nod. "Now get in there and see Tyler, he's missed you like crazy" she says.

"Okay, thanks" I say with a smile. I wipe my eyes again, getting up off the ground. I go into the lounge and sit down on the couch with Scott and Tyler. Scott squeezes my arm in comfort as I talk to Tyler, telling him about some of the things I saw on my 'holiday'.

..

Mom takes Tyler out for ice-cream, Scott going with them. I decide to stay home and regroup with myself. I'm still shaking from this morning. I sit on my bed, just staring in my lap. I look up when I hear a noise. I rush over to Derek as he stumbles to climb in my window. His stomach's bleeding past his fingers from where he's holding his hand over the wound, he's pretty badly banged up.

"Derek?" I say, holding him up. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay" he breathes out. "Peter..he-he's at the house. I couldn't go back" he tells me weakly.

"Okay, sit down" I say, guiding him to my bed. I close my door, locking it in case they come home. I go to Derek's side, taking his hand and leeching some pain. "What happened?" I ask him again. He grunts a little in pain.

"Peter tried to get me to go with him" Derek tells me. I have to let Derek's hand go when the pain becomes too much. "Thanks" he says. I nod.

"And you said no?" I guess. He nods.

"He-he got mad. I barely got away" Derek admits. I move the hand he's holding over his stomach. Peter gave Derek the same treatment he did it me, claws to the stomach. Derek's looks bad, teared open and bleeding black blood. I don't think Peter was trying to scare him like he was with me, he was trying to kill him.

"I have to stitch this" I say. Derek nods. I help him move so he can lean againist the wall. I go into the bathroom, finding the needle and thread I keep for things like this. When you're on the road by yourself, you have to learn how to stitch yourself up. I grab a towel too. "How much do you like this shirt?" I ask the male, sitting down beside him on the bed, needle up and thread already in my mouth to wet it.

"What?" Derek asks, confused. I pull the thread through before grabbing Derek's shirt and ripping it open with my claws so I can have easy access to the wound. I give him an apologetic look. "Oh" he nods, realising what I meant now. I start stitching, holding the towel over the part i'm not working on to hopefully help stop the bleeding. "I had a feeling you wanted to rip my shirt off but that's not exactly what I had in mind" he teases, chuckling weakly.

"I think you might be losing your mind" I chuckle, glancing up at him worriedly. His eyes start to close. "Eyes open" I growl, making him open his eyes. I go as fast as I can. I finish it up, breaking the thread off. I move the towel, seeing the bleeding's clogged and it's starting to heal now that it's stitched up. "You're gonna be okay" I say. I look up and panic, seeing his eyes are closed and he's not moving. "Derek?" I say. I search for a pulse, not finding one. "Derek? Dude?!" I say, shaking him. I swear to god.. "Derek?!" I freak, smacking him in the face. He coughs, eyes opening. I sigh in relief, leaning my head againist his shoulder. "I thought you were dead you asshole" I say, sitting back up to look at him.

"I'm okay" he smiles weakly. My ears perk up to the sound of a car pulling up outside. "I think that's your Mom..I-I should go" he says, moving to get up.

"No, no way" I say, stopping him. "Lay down" I tell him.

"But they're home" he says. "They-they can't know i've been here" he says, wincing in pain.

"I don't care. Just..get in my bed" I say. "I'll keep them out of here but you can't go back out there like this. Not when Peter's waiting for you at your house" I say. "Come on, get in, you need to heal" I coax. "You can stay with me for now" I say. He nods, face screwing up in pain as he moves. I help him under the covers quickly, hearing them coming in the front door. "Rest, finish healing. I gotta go but i'll come and check on you, alright?" he nods. I move to get up but Derek catches my hand.

"Thank you for this" he says. I smile softly. He kisses my hand before letting it go. I walk out of my room, shutting the door closed behind me. I walk downstairs, finding Mom, Scott and Tyler. I smile, picking Tyler up. The toddler smiles at me, hands starting to play with my long hair.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Mom asks. I nod with a soft smile.

"I am now" I say, talking about not only Tyler and being okay with Scott but that I know Derek's safe and healing too.

"I'm going to start dinner, will you be here?" Mom asks me.

"Course" I nod. "You want me to help?" I ask.

"I've got it Ash" Scott says. "Go play with Tyler. He's got some drawings he wants to show you" Scott smiles. I give him a grateful smile. I take Tyler back into the lounge where he's got his bags. I'm glad Scott and I weren't here when our Dad dropped Tyler off. I don't ever want to see that man again, ever. I love my little brother but i'm so grateful we weren't here when he was dropped off. It gave Mom some time with him by herself too.

"Look Ashy, look" Tyler says, opening up his drawing book. I smile proudy. He's always been artistic, especially for his age.

"These are so good Ty" I say, making the toddler smile.

..

We have dinner together and it makes me think of how things used to be. Only thing missing is our Dad but I don't mind. I'm happy with this moment, right now. When Tyler yawns, eyes hooded with sleep, Mom decides she's going to turn in as well as it is getting quite late. Scott decides he'll go stay at Stiles', clue him in on everything, John too. Mom says she wants Tyler for the night and i'm kind of happy about that because Derek's still in my bed.

"Night Ty" I say, kissing his head.

"Goodnight Ash" he says from Mom's arms.

"Night Mom" I say.

"Night baby" she smiles, going for her room. I wait until she's in her room and the door's closed before going into my room. It's dark in here but I can hear Derek's even breathing. I silently slip into my bed beside him. Well..I try too.

"Huge ass werewolf" I mutter, not able to fit on my bed with how he's laying. I think about taking the couch downstairs and leaving him my bed. Derek's not as asleep as I thought because he moves, pulling me onto the bed properly. I chuckle and he smiles, opening his eyes.

"Is that better?" he asks me. I nod with a smile.

"Are you feeling better?" I ask him, keeping my voice down.

"I am now that you're in here with me" he smiles sleepily. I scoff softly.

"Maybe you hit your head too" I joke.

"No, I don't think so" Derek says with that same smile. I blush, ducking my head. "That boy..was that him? Was that Tyler?" Derek asks me.

"Yeah, that's him" I smile. "He's still the little artist he was before. He's still so cheerful and cute. He's still everything I remember, just older. And he remembers me too" I smile widely. I turn my head to look at Derek, finding he's already looking at me with a smile. "Sorry" I chuckle awkwardly.

"No, it's okay" Derek says. "I'm glad he's come back, i'm glad you're happy" he says. I smile softly. I yawn, covering my mouth. "I can go if you want me too"

"I don't want you to go" I say. Derek nods and we look at each other for a few seconds. Derek doesn't any anything but he moves closer to me and closes his eyes again. I smile to myself, moving closer to him as well. I lean my head againist his slightly, shutting my eyes. I feel his arm move to drape over my waist. I peek out one eye but Derek keeps his closed, trying to fight a smile. I blush a little more, grinning. I decide to one-up him. I move to lay on my side, curling up againist his chest.

"That's better" he whispers, bringing both arms around me. I'm glad the darkness hides the wicked heat in my cheeks. "Night Ash"

"Night Derek" I say, feeling relaxed and comfortable in his embrace.

..

..

 **These two.. I swear.. Hope you like the addition of little Tyler McCall! I know I do! So..here's my thinking that I was thinking. After all this revealing stuff about their Dad I was thinking..maybe he comes back later on in my fic? Maybe he's a bad guy? Maybe he hasn't changed and he's still an abusive prick? I don't know. I just wanted to share my thinking so you could see into my writer's mind :) Favourite, follow and review! Just adding this note in a little late..I have a craving to write something apocalyptic. Little bit of Walking Dead, maybe some Resident Evil or I Am Legend even..yes or no? And yes, it'll be sporting my favourite pair (Ash and Derek) and other Teen Wolf characters! I feel like Teen Wolf should have brought in zombies by now..or is that just me? Anyway..is that something you'd be interested in?**


	15. Beach Days

**Shout out to Serena Sterling, Tesla424 and Bree for reviewing! Yay, Tyler love! Serena, your McDonald's comment, I love them :,D Yeah, Derek can be a softy because, as Dylan O'Brien said in an interview, Derek's just a big puppy :3 A major Ashlee/Derek/Tyler chapter this chapter!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake to knocking. Derek stirs, arms tightening around me. I smile, nuzzling my face into his chest.

"Morning" Derek mumbles, kissing my head. I smile, feeling giddy at his actions.

"Morning" I mutter againist his chest. The knocking continues. Only then do I realise someone's actually knocking on my door.

"Ash?" Mom calls out. Crap. I scramble over Derek to get out of bed before she can open the door. I fall off the bed and onto the floor.

"Son of a bitch" I sigh. I open the door, leaning againist it so she can't see Derek. I don't want her to get the wrong idea. Not that i'm exactly sure what the real 'idea' is. I asked him to stay so he did. We spent the night cuddled together. Hmm. Okay. "Hey" I say.

"Did you just fall out of bed?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Um..no" I say, trying to play it cool.

"I'm sure" she grins. "Listen, i've got work in 20 minutes and Scott's not back from Stiles'. Do you think you could look after Tyler for the day?" she asks.

"Of course" I smile. "Yeah, i'll take him to the beach" I say.

"Thank you, you're a lifesaver" she says, kissing my cheek. "He's downstairs eating breakfast now but I have to go, can you-"

"I'll make sure he washes up" I chuckle. I can feel myself slipping into that old motherly role for Ty already. It's a welcome feeling.

"Thank you. Now, I have to go but i'll see you tonight" she says, heading down the stairs. I wave goodbye to Mom. She kisses Tyler goodbye and heads out the door.

"Ty! Finish your breakfast, i'll be down in a second!" I call down to the young boy. He makes an 'mmm' sound around a mouthful of food. I go back into my room, shutting the door. Derek's getting up, no shirt and all.

"I guess that's my cue" Derek says.

"It doesn't have to be" I say. He smiles.

"You almost sound like you want me to stick around" he says, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's just say I don't want you to go just yet" I say, fighting a blush. "I'm gonna take Tyler to the beach..come with?"

"Do you want me to come or do you want to keep me from going home?" he asks.

"Both" I say honestly, meeting his eyes.

"Okay" he nods. "I'll come" I go over to my drawers, digging around and pulling out a shirt that'll fit him. I toss it to him. "Why do you have this?" he asks, confused as he looks at the male shirt. He pulls it on to find it fits him. Realisation dawns on him and his face falls a little before he quickly covers it up. "Wait..do you have a boyfriend?" I scoff.

"It's Scott's shirt" I chuckle. "Relax Cujo"

"Oh" he says, smiling sheepishly.

"If I had a boyfriend, you wouldn't have been in my bed" I say. He nods, meeting my eyes. "Only special guys get to stay over in my bed" I smirk.

"Right" he grins. I chuckle, feeling like a teenaged girl all over again.

"Meet us down at my car" I say, heading for the door. When I turn back around, he's gone. I go down to find Tyler on his tiptoes, pushing his bowl onto the bench. "Okay little man, what do you say you go brush your teeth and have a wash and i'll take you for a swim at the beach?" I ask him.

"Okay!" he smiles excitedly.

"Come on" I say.

..

Tyler in board shorts with clean teeth and brushed hair follows me to my car. Derek stands up from where he's leaning againist the car when he hears us. Tyler sees him and stops. He frowns and looks at me. He looks at Derek and he looks back at me. He shys away, coming to stand behind me.

"It's okay Ty, come on" I say, holding my hand out to him. He takes it, letting me lead him over to Derek. I crotch down next to Tyler. "Tyler, this is Derek" I say.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Tyler asks. I chuckle awkwardly, not looking at Derek but feeling the wolf's suprise at the child's bold words. I forgot kids were like that. They tell it how it is, they don't care if it hurts your feelings or embarasses you either.

"No sweetie, he's not my boyfriend" I tell him.

"Then who is he?"

"He's my friend" I say. "Can you say hi?" Tyler looks at Derek. I stand up, picking Tyler up so they're at the same level.

"Hi" Tyler says to him. "I'm Tyler" he introduces, sticking his tiny hand out. I smile widely. He's so smart.

"Hey little man, i'm Derek" Derek says, taking his little hand with his much, much larger hand and shaking it.

"Derek's gonna come to the beach with us, is that okay?" I ask Tyler.

"Yeah" Ty nods. "He's hairy" he says making Derek and I laugh. "He has a beard"

"But it's pretty, right?" I ask Tyler. "We like his beard" I say. Derek raises an eyebrow but I keep my eyes on Tyler.

"Yeah, me too" Tyler nods with a smile.

"Where's your booster?" I ask him.

"Dad didn't bring it" he tells me. I clench my jaw but keep the smile on my face.

"It's okay. I think you're tall enough to sit without one" I say, opening the door for him. I buckle him into the middle seat since in mustangs it's high and small, perfect for him. I shut the door, going for my side. Derek looks at me over the car.

"You like my beard?" he asks, eyebrows raised.

"It's more stubble" I shrug. "But yeah, I do" I say, getting in the car so he doesn't see me smile shyly. He gets in and smiles to himself. I pull out, driving towards the beach.

..

"I need coffee, you want one?" I ask Derek, pulling up in a carpark across from the coffee stall. I fish into the backseat for my wallet in my bag. Derek brings out a 20, holding it out to me.

"Coffee, black" he says. I take the money with an eyeroll.

"What do you say Sourwolf?" I tease.

"I say, my shout" he says with a grin.

"That's better than please" I smile.

"You want something to drink Tyler?" Derek asks him.

"Yes. I want..I want, um..I want orange juice" Tyler finally decides.

"What do you say?" I ask him.

"Please" Tyler adds with his cute toothy smile.

"Thanks Derek" I say to him with a smile before getting out.

..

 **Derek's p.o.v**

I watch Ash get out of the car with a soft smile. The girl has slowly but surely gotten under my skin. I wish I could, but I can't explain how I feel about her. If we argue, she still fights me every second of it, even if we both know she's wrong. We've got a strange relationship but I like it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The smile on my face drops into a scowl when the young male barista's eyes widen when Ash steps up to get her coffee. This must be James.

"Well aren't you beautiful as always" the guy grins at her. It's the same voice as on the phone. Yeah, it's James. His eyes travel up from her untied, dirty black combat boots up to her face, more preciesely her chest. That red 3/4 tank top she's wearing is making it too easy for the barista, standing a little higher up than she is, to peek down her shirt. I don't blame him, i've caught myself doing it too. Ash is a small girl but she easily makes up for it with her impressive curves. That doesn't mean i'm okay with him looking though. Ash chuckles.

"Awful kind of you but I don't have the money to tip" she brushes the compliment off. That makes me smile a little. She underestimates herself sometimes, especially when it comes to her looks. And she's got to be one of the most quick-witted and sharp-tounged woman i've ever met. I like that about her. It's one of the things that drew me in in the first place.

"Don't worry sweetheart, talking to you is tip enough" he says smoothly. I roll my eyes. I know guys like this, I know because that was me back in high school. "So, when are we gonna sit down and have a coffee together? I feel like we've barely spoken" he says to her with this innocent 'good boy' pout. Oh god. Ash knows better than to fall for that act, right? Right? "Listen, my day's up in less than 15, why don't you stick around for awhile? Maybe we can go somewhere..get to know each other a little better, yeah?" he asks her. I cringe at 'get to know each other better'. Everyone knows what that really means. I really hope that isn't what he meant. "Just the two of us. Hang out for the night?" he suggests. "I can bring you breakfast in bed" he winks. The guy hands her over her coffee cups and Tyler's juice. Ash chuckles to herself, realising what he's really asking.

"Thanks but no thanks, i've already got attractive company" she smiles sweetly. Wait..is she talking about me? "But if he starts to feel lonely or wants breakfast in bed, i'll send him to you first. Scout's honor" she winks, walking away. The guy kind of stands there with his mouth hanging open, unsure how to respond to her cheekiness. By the time he can recover, she's already getting back in the car anyway. She gets in, handing me my cup and change. "Here Ty" she says, handing him back his juice.

"Thank you Derek" Tyler says. I give him a smile, Ash smiling at his politeness too.

"Thanks" I say to her.

"No problem, thank you for paying" she smiles, pulling out.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"So attractive company, huh?" Derek asks.

"It's rude to listen in on other people's conversations" I say, a little embarassed that he heard that.

"It's rude to make out i'm gay to other people" he shoots back. I chuckle, hiding my laughter behind my hand. "I'm not gay"

"Alright Derek" I nod, stiffling laughter.

"If I was gay, would I have been checking you out a minute ago?" he asks innocently, taking a sip from his coffee.

"You.." I say. "You were what?"

"Nothing" he brushes it off. God, we have a strange relationship.

"I'd prefer your company over his" I say. "He only wanted in my pants anyway" I say pulling up at the park. I want to drink my vanilla latte now and it's too hard to drive manual and drink at the same time.

"I thought you two clicked or whatever" Derek rolls his eyes at the cliche line.

"You wanna know what he smelt like when he was eye-fu.. _looking_ at me?" I ask, stopping myself from saying the f-word in front of Tyler. Danny was right, he was sweet in the beginning but it was obvious what he really wanted from me. And he's not getting it.

"No, not really. Please don't say it in front of Tyler either" Derek cringes. I chuckle. I lean my seat back, putting my legs up on the steering wheel. I should have known James was just another hormonal guy. Besides..i'm pretty happy with where whatever's between Derek and I is going. Well, I hope it's something going somewhere. It feels that way at least. Derek raises an eyebrow at the action but puts his legs up too, making me laugh. "I'm just wondering..does Scott know about this? About us hanging out?" Derek asks.

"I think so, I don't know" I say, turning my head to look at him. "Why? Do you want it kept a secret?" I ask.

"No, course not" he says. "I just don't want him giving you a hard time or anything"

"If I can handle you, I can handle Scott. Don't sweat it" I say.

"Who says you can handle me?" Derek asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I do" I smirk. Derek smiles a little. "You don't think I could, do you?"

"I never said that" he grins to himself.

"You didn't have too jerk" I say, nudging him half-heartedly.

"Is Scotty your friend too?" Tyler asks Derek. Derek opens his mouth but cringes a little.

"Yeah Ty, they're close buddies" I say with a grin. Derek glares at me half-heartedly.

"McCall!" I hear an annoyingly, vaguely familiar voice call out.

"For the love of god" I sigh, sitting up. And of course. There's Jackass Whittmore. "Stay in the car with Derek" I say to Tyler but telling Derek to stay in the car too. I get out, closing my door and leaning againist it. "What can I do for you?" I ask him. A piece of paper's thrusted into my hands. "You wanna try that again?" I say, tossing it back to him.

"It's the bill for my mirror. I want it paid in full by this afternoon" he orders, shoving it into my hands again. I raise an eyebrow. "Did you hear what I said?" he snaps.

"Just walk away Jackson" I say, calmly passing it back to him.

"You listen to me-" he starts, grabbing my hip tightly. I shove him back, pinning him againist the truck beside us. Noone touches me like that.

"No, you listen to me" I growl, baring my fangs to him. "You put your damn hands on me again and i'll rip that cocky grin off your face and eat it. Do you understand me?" I threaten. He nods, swallowing thickly. I let him go, straightening his jacket. "I'm sure your Mom and Dad won't mind paying for it" I say, holding the piece of paper out to him. He looks like he's going to object but looks past me. He takes it, nodding, before walking away. I take a calming breath, turning to find Derek out of the car and glaring after Jackson.

"Did he touch you?" Derek asks me.

"He won't do it again" I say. Derek pushes off the car, moving after Jackson. I quickly get in front of him, stopping him with my hands to his chest. "Relax Cujo, I can handle him too" I assure him. Derek sighs and nods, backing down. "But thanks" I say, patting his chest before letting my hands fall. "Come on, back in the car" I say. We get back in the car. I look back at Tyler, the toddler far more interested in drinking his juice than the commotion that just went on outside. I finish my latte before pulling out and continuing driving towards the beach.

..

I lock the car up, the 3 of us walking along the beach towards the water. It's calm today so I don't mind Tyler paddling in here. I'll keep an eye out though. I laugh when Tyler picks up a hunk of seaweed and puts it on his head.

"How cute" I turn to find an elderly woman walking a small dog. "You have a beautiful son" she says, looking between Derek and I.

"Oh, uh.." I say awkwardly, Derek looking at the ground and scratching his neck. "He's not mine, he's my brother" I correct her. "And we're not together" I add, feeling the need too.

"My apologises" she says genuinely. "Good day" she says, walking on. I give her a polite smile. I turn to Derek, cringing.

"Do I look like i've had a baby?" I ask.

"Definitely not" Derek says. "Do I look like a father?"

"Definitely not. More like a serial killer" I tease with a sweet smile. He rolls his eyes with a smile of his own.

"Can I go in?" Tyler asks. I nod.

"Only in the shallow and always within my sight, alright?" I say. He nods before running in. I watch with a soft smile as he sits down in the waves, splashing around and laughing. I keep close, ready to run in if I have too.

"He's really happy to be with you" Derek says. I turn and look at him. "I can feel it"

"I'm glad you came" I say. "Not just so you won't go back to the house but..I don't want you to disappear once we've dealt with Peter" I admit shyly, wringing my hands. Derek locks eyes with me, studying.

"I'm not going anywhere" he assures me.

"Good" I say with a small smile.

"Are you?" he asks. I shake my head.

"No, I belong here" I say. I look back over to Tyler. "I always have. I'm not walking away from this again" I tell him, watching my baby brother with soft eyes.

"Good" he says. "I don't want you to disappear either" he admits. We just stand there, looking at each other. Tyler runs over to us from the water with a shell.

"I got it for you" Tyler says, holding it out to me. I take the pinky-peach coloured scallop shell from him with a smile.

"Thanks" I say, scruffing his hair.

"Can you help me make a sandcastle?" he asks. I nod. I sit down with Tyler. I look up at Derek with a raised eyebrow.

"That means you too Hale" I grin. He chuckles before sitting down with us. I watch how Tyler and Derek are together. I can tell Tyler's taken an instant liking to the man..kind of like I did. And I get to see another side of him when he's with Tyler. He's good with Tyler. I can almost imagine how he would have been with his own little sister. There's definitely a softer and calmer Derek under the surface and day by day, i'm seeing it more and more. And I know he's seeing the real me too. How I am with Scott and Tyler, that's the real me. I'm like a mother bear, i've very protective of my cubs even though they're my brothers not my young. The snark and the wit, that's all apart of my personality too. But I find my softer, more girly side or whatever, comes out around Derek too, the cuddling and the cheek kisses. I don't know where exactly the teasing, slight flirting, cuddling and cheek kisses are going but I like the direction it's going in right now. And if that turns into something more or not..we'll just have to see.

..

..

 **They're pinning and crushing so much! Season finale coming up soon! I'm taking a huge 360 spin on season 2 so bear with me and I hope you like it :) Favourite, follow and review!**


	16. Tyler Tells The Truth

**Shout out to Bree, TheMorbidGal, nosferatufan, Tesla424 and Serena Sterling for reviewing! Yes, definate different season 2 :) Love the words Serena and i'm going to leave you guessing on which McDonald's i'm in ;) Yay nosferatufan you're back! I'm glad you guys are liking this! Enjoy another chapter!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I drive us back to my house. I'm not sure what Derek's going to do. Peter will undoubtfully be at the Hale house, waiting for him. I don't know what he wants with Derek exactly but I know it's not good. Derek took a hell of a beating and barely got away. I don't want him to go through that again. So we sit in my car, in my driveway, not sure what to do.

"What are you gonna do?" I ask, turning to look at Derek.

"I don't know" he says.

"Have you got somewhere you can stay that isn't.. _there_?" I ask him. He looks away and I take that as my answer. "Do you wanna stay here?" I ask him. He looks back at me.

"I wanna say yes, you know I do" he says.

"But?"

"But I can't. I need to deal with this before it gets out of hand. He could come here looking, I can't risk that" he says.

"Can Scott and I help? I don't want you going after him alone-"

"I'll be fine-"

"Like you were the other night?" I ask, frowing with worry. "You weren't moving Derek. I-I thought you were de.." I trail off, not wanting to say it. "And I was scared" I admit. "I don't exactly scare easily Derek, so don't tell me you'll magically be fine because we both know that's crap"

"I will be fine"

"Seriously? Are you listening at all-"

"I'll be fine because I have to be fine. I have to be able to protect you and Tyler, Scott too" he says. I find i'm a little speechless, I wasn't expecting him to say that. "I'll be fine because I always am. It's gonna take alot more than Peter to stop me from coming back to you, alright?"

"Okay" I whisper, nodding my head.

"Hey, you trust me, right?" he asks. I nod without hesitation. "I'll be back. Tonight, i'll come find you" he says.

"Okay" I nod. "Just please be careful"

"I will" he says. There's a pause where we're just looking at each other. Derek's eyes shoot to my lips before he starts to lean in slowly. I notice and start to move closer to him as well. His hand comes up and brushes over my cheek.

"Ew!" Tyler says from the backseat making us both pull away from each other before our lips touch. I chuckle awkwardly. For a moment..I forgot he was sitting back there. I think Derek did too. "You said he's not your boyfriend" Tyler says, looking at me. I swear he even raises an eyebrow. He gets that sass from Mom, all McCalls have it.

"Um..he's not" I say, scratching my head awkwardly, cringing at how strange this moment is.

"I, uh..I should go" Derek says. "I'll see you later"

"Okay, i'll see you later" I say. He opens the door, moving to get out. I catch his arm. "I'll see you later, alive" I say pointedly. He nods, before leaning back in the car to kiss my cheek, right beside my lips. He's out of the car and walking towards the woods before I can even react. I find myself smiling widely, cheeks a dusty rose colour.

..

Scott comes home not that long after we got inside.

"Hey Ty" Scott smiles, scruffing the young male's hair. "What did you two do today?" Scott asks.

"We went to the beach" Tyler says with a big smile.

"Yeah? Was that fun?" Scott asks him. I smile softly, loving that I can see my brothers like this again.

"Yes! And Derek brought me orange juice" Tyler tells him. My face drops. I didn't think that would happen..I didn't really think it through.

"Derek?" Scott asks, looking over at me.

"He has a beard" Tyler says. "Ash said she's likes his beard because it's pretty" dammit Tyler.

"Oh, is that right?" Scott asks, still looking at me. I can feel the lecture coming but what Tyler says next makes him stop.

"He's really nice and-and he's really nice to Ash even though he's not her boyfriend and he made a sandcastle with me" Tyler says, rambling like kids do. Scott's face softens and he looks back at Tyler.

"That was nice of him" Scott says, eyes flicking me for a second and back. "Why don't you get into your jersey and trackpants? You're still wet" Scott says.

"Okay" Tyler nods, walking down to his little room Mom's finally put him back in. Scott walks up to me and I look down at the floor, I don't want to argue.

"Did Derek really make a sandcastle today?" Scott asks, amused. I look up, seeing he's not angry, he's just curious.

"Yeah dude, a big friggin' one" I chuckle. It falls quiet. I wringe my hands nervously. "Um..Derek came out with us today" I tell him. "That's okay, right?"

"Yeah" Scott nods a little hesitantly. "Tyler seems to really like him so..it's good"

"Yeah, it is" I say, shuffling my feet. "Because after we've dealt with the alpha..he said he's gonna stick around"

"Stick around with you or just stick around?" Scott asks carefully.

"He said he's gonna stick around" I repeat, not sure which one Derek meant. "Um..i'm gonna go up to my room, i've got a few things to do" I say.

"I'll look after Tyler" Scott nods. I smile, moving for the stairs. "Thanks for taking him out today"

"No problem" I say. Scott goes to Tyler's room so I go to mine. I close the door behind me. I grab my laptop and thick supernatural encyclopedia and sit down on my bed. I open my laptop and the big book. I start to research online and in the book about alpha werewolves, trying to find a weakness or anything that can help us take down Peter.

..

I must have fallen asleep. I wake up when I hear movement in my room. I'm quickly assured it's just Derek when he flashes his blue eyes at me. He told me he'd come find me and he did. I rub my tired eyes. He moves the book and my laptop off my bed.

"You're okay" I smile tiredly, eyes half-closed.

"Course I am. Get in bed, you need sleep" he says. I nod and he helps me into my bed as i'm practically blindly reaching for my comforter. I lay down and hide a yawn behind my hands. He looks down at me with a soft smile. I meet his eyes, smiling softly back. I move over, lifting up the covers for him as an invitation for him to stay again. He studies me for a few seocnds before nodding, accepting it and getting in beside me. Neither of us say anthing else, we just return to how we were last night, cuddling. Derek kisses my head and I close my eyes, going back to sleep.

..

..

 **Hmm, these two.. Favourite, follow and review!**


	17. Piston Problems

**Okay, i'm really angry at ! I know I have new reviews, it says I have more but when I click into it, I can't see them :( This sucks because I love your feedback and reading them and replying :( So i'm really sorry, I can't do any of that this chapter. I wish I could but I can't :( Shout out to those of you that did review though, as soon as this problem is fixed, you'll get your shout out and necessary replies :) If anyone knows anything about this problem or has a solution please private message me! But feel free to still leave a review because I know they'll fix it..at least I hope they will. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up late in the morning. The house is quiet, everyone's home today. Mom's got the day off work and we're all able to sleep in. I open my eyes to find i'm laying on Derek's chest. He smiles at me, already awake. I move so my chin's rested on him, smiling back at the older man.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask him quietly.

"Not long" he says, taming my hair with his hand. I relax under his touch. My phone starts to ring and I groan. I reach over Derek, grabbing it off the bedside table. I groan again, seeing ' _Romeo_ ' on the screen. I answer it.

"Yesturday was sort of my way of telling you I wasn't interested" I say to James.

"I think I could change your mind" I can practically hear his grin. "Give me one date" Danny was definitely right. I'm suprised when Derek takes the phone from my hand, bringing it to his own ear.

"Ash is a little busy right now, with me. Stop calling her or i'm gonna kill you, got it?" Derek says before hanging up and putting my phone back down. I raise an eyebrow at him. "What? Now he'll stop calling"

"Are you sure that's all that was?" I grin.

"Shut up" he says, fighting a smile. I don't have to say it outloud. He was practically telling James i'm not 'up for grabs'. And god, that makes me blush. "Is that a blush?" Derek teases. I hide my face againist his chest.

"No" I say in a muffled voice, trying to force it to go away. He chuckles and soon i'm laughing too. We're too caught up in the moment to hear the footsteps come towards my room. And then my door open.

"Oh. Whoa" in that moment, I wished the ground would open up and take me away. Derek and I both pull away from each other quickly, sitting up.

"Mom" I say, cringing epically at her. "Um..I..we were..I can't explain this" I admit, too stunned to come up with a good enough lie as to why Derek and I were in bed together.

"Um..i'll just..go" Derek says, getting up. I get up as well, feeling the need to show Mom we're both fully clothed. "Ms McCall" Derek says with an awkward nod.

"I'd give you the same treatment but I don't know your name" Mom says, looking around the room awkwardly.

"It's De-"

"Daniel" I interrupt quickly. "His name's Daniel"

"Yeah..i'm Daniel" Derek says, giving me a questionable look. I give him a pointed look to play along. I don't need Mom going to Scott, telling him I was in bed with Derek.

"Okay..Daniel. It was nice to meet you" Mom says, trying to be polite despite the awkward tension in the room.

"You too" Derek says. "Bye Ash" he says, looking at me.

"Bye" I say, giving him a small embarassed smile. Mom waits until we hear the front door close behind him before turning back to me with raised eyebrows. "Okay, seriously not what you think-"

"You know how to pick 'em, he's cute" she teases, nudging me. I let out a relieved chuckle. "Relax Ash, you're 21. I expect this sort of thing. I just wish I didn't walk in on it" she says.

"I swear nothing happened. I didn't even touch him below the belt" I defend.

"Didn't even touch who below the belt?" comes Scott's voice from behind us. I cringe, turning to find him leaning againist his doorframe with a grossed out face.

"Her man _friend_ " Mom grins. "Daniel"

"Daniel? D.." Scott trails off, face falling as he realises. I give him pleading eyes. "Right, Daniel" he says, playing along. I internally sigh in relief. We fall into an uncomfortable silence.

"Well..i'm going to have breakfast" Mom says, escaping it. Scott walks past me, going into my room. I follow him in, seeing the male smelling the air.

"Derek's Daniel, right? Which means Derek was here last night, wasn't he?" he asks me. I shut my door, not wanting this to reach Mom's ears.

"Okay, yes. He stayed but-"

"Why the hell is he staying over?" Scott asks in an angry hushed whisper. He doesn't even give me the chance to answer. "I knew there was something going on between you two. Jesus Ash, really? You sneak him in here, you two do _whatever_ and then he leaves? Is that really how you want to be? Because that's not you" Scott says.

"Okay, stop" I say, holding both hands up. "Firstly, I told him he could come here, there was no sneaking. This is the second time he's stayed-" Scott goes to cut me off. "Shut up, just listen" I stop him. "And secondly, we've never slept together, he's never even attempted to take it there if that's what you mean. We haven't even kissed" I tell him honestly.

"I..what the hell?" Scott sighs. "You said you were friends. And I accepted that. Friends don't have secret sleepovers in each other's beds" Scott freaks in a hushed whisper.

"Well, i've never slept in his bed so.." I trail off when I see the look Scott's giving me. "Okay, that's not helping"

"No, it's not" Scott says.

"Listen, it's no big deal. So _maybe_ we like each more than friends. What difference does it make?"

"What difference? Ash..Derek's not boyfriend material, trust me" Scott says.

"You're getting really ahead of yourself. And how can you even say that? I've gotten to know him and he's not as bad as you make him out to be. You heard Tyler, he's a nice guy" I try to defend so Scott will shut up. It's not like we're dating or anything. I just don't want him to turn it into something it's not. Especially when i'm unsure as well.

"I know, but.."

"But what?" I ask him.

"I just never thought you'd have boys in your bed" he sighs.

"I'm 21" I point out.

"I know that"

"And i'm not a vir-"

"Please, for the love of God, do not finish that sentence" Scott stops me. I nod. "I just thought you'd be my snot-nosed sister forever" he admits, looking down at his feet. I smile softly.

"I'm still your sister, just not as snot-nosed" I joke, Scott smiling a little. "But I know what i'm doing, alright?"

"Fine" Scott sighs. "But if he hurts you or does anything..i'll gladly kill him"

"You're getting ahead of yourself again Scott. We're practically still just friends..sort of" I say.

"Ones that share a bed from time to time, right?"

"Yeah" I nod sheepishly. Scott sighs, looking uncomfortable. "Besides, if he does anything to me then i'm kicking his ass"

"You can kick his ass first, but i'm still taking my turn" Scott says. I smile.

"Okay Scott"

"Let's go have breakfast" he says, nodding downstairs. I nod, following him.

..

I wipe my hands off on the already oily rag. I let out a breath, looking down under my mustang's hood.

"What's all this?" I look up, finding Scott walking into the garage and over to me.

"I'm finally got my hands on some original pistons for my engine it replace those diamond heads" I tell him.

"Okay.." Scott nods, not following. I chuckle.

"Come here" I say. He walks over, looking down at the engine with me. "Okay, these" I say, pointing to the pistons. "They're called pistons. All this, this is the block. Now, right now i've got these aluminum diamond pistons. They're not the originals for this car" I tell him, Scott nodding along. "But i've managed to find the originals so that's how i'm going to spend my afternoon, installing them"

"How are you gonna do that?" Scott asks.

"Well the engine's gotta come out for starters" I sigh. "Which is a job and a half in itself since you've got no engine hoist" I say.

"How the hell do you know how to do this?" Scott asks.

"Who do you think keep this baby in mint condition these past years?" I grin. Scott chuckles.

"I'd help but I promised Mom i'd get some study done today" Scott says.

"It's okay" I smile. "I'm a werejaguar, i'm sure i'll find a way around it" I grin.

"Yell out if you need help" he says.

"Will do. Now go on, get some work done" I say. He goes back inside and I turn back to my car. "Okay, how the hell _am_ I supposed do this?" I ask myself. This would be a 10x easier if they had a damn engine hoist.

"Could you use another pair of hands?" I turn around to find Derek standing there, hands in his pockets. I smile.

"I could" I nod. "Are you sure you wanna be here though? Everyone's home" I tell him.

"I know. It's okay" he says, walking over.

"Thanks" I say.

"Okay, so what are you doing?" he asks me, looking down at my Boss 429 engine.

"I gotta take the engine out and swap out the pistons" I tell him.

"What happened to your pistons?" he asks.

"Nothing. I've got these aluminum diamond pistons and I want to replace them with the original Boss pistons" I shrug.

"And just where are you going to find the original pistons? They didn't even make a thousand of these cars, it's not going to be an easy find" Derek says. I smirk and grab the box that came in the post today. I open it, my beautiful pistons wrapped up nice and cosy.

"Already got them" I smile widely. Derek chuckles.

"I don't even wanna know how" he says fondly. "You've got another problem" he says.

"What's that?" I ask.

"No engine hoist" he says, looking around the garage. My eyes fall to him. More precisily, his muscular arms.

"Well you're big and strong" I say. "You can be my engine hoist"

"Ouch" he says playfully.

"I'll help you. We can put it up here" I say, clearing the workbench. Derek nods. "You don't have to help me, it's okay"

"No, I want too" he says. I smile and go to his side.

"Ready?" I ask him. He nods. We both heave the engine out, bringing it to the bench. That was much easier with Derek's help than it would have been without his help. I get to work, unbolting and removing the pistons carefully between everything else.

"Are you sure you want to revert back?" Derek asks, jumping up to sit beside my engine, helping me by making sure everything else stays in place.

"Yeah" I nod. "Are you doubting me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, there'll be a reason they went factory and took out the originals" he says.

"Okay. For alot of muscle cars, they were detuned so they could get homologation so they could be sold" I say and Derek nods. "Which means alot of things were compromised. Luckily for me, nearly nothing in my car was changed for that reason since, yes you were right in the beginning, it wasn't an entirely legal grab for me to get this car" I smirk, Derek grinning too. "So with the original pistons, you get a compression ratio of 11.3:1. With these prissy diamond heads, you get about 10.5:1" I say, taking out the last one. "And you know what that means?" I ask him.

"The originals give you more compression, which means it gives you more power" he says.

"Correct" I nod. "And these cars were made for these pistons so I don't run the risk of burning them out or rubbing anything down either"

"So..does that mean you're getting back into racing?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. I look at him and shrug. "Come on, you can't just be doing this for no reason"

"I just wanna restore my baby to his former glory" I say. "But..if someone happened to challenge me to a race then I wouldn't say no" I grin.

"Someone like me?" Derek asks.

"We both know who would win that race" I say, still grinning.

"Yeah. We'll see" he nods. That's one of things I love about him, he challenges me, he pushes back. We work in relative silence for awhile, small talk between us. It's comfortable though, not awkward. "What was all that 'Daniel' stuff about this morning?" Derek asks me.

"I didn't want my Mom to know who you really were" I say.

"Does it matter who I am?" he asks curiously.

"Box wrench" I request, nodding to where it is with the other tools of Scott's for his dirtbike. "No, not really. I just didn't want Mom going and telling Scott you were staying over" I say. I go over to where Derek's looking. "He found out anyway though" I inform him. "He's handling it..sort of" I chuckle. I reach for the box wrench, finding it amongst everything before he does. But he grabs it just before me, turning around to give it to me.

"What'd he say.." once he's turned around, there's so little space between us and we're face to face. And suddenly it's really hot and stuffy and I don't know what to do.

"Um.." I say, losing track of my thoughts. Sure, we've been close, but never _this_ close.

"Box wrench" Derek says, holding it out to me. I take it.

"Thanks" I say. But then neither of us pull away. But Derek does move. He moves closer. And closer. I look down at his lips which are literally only a centimetre off of mine. I take that leap. I bring my hands up around the back of his neck, pulling him in to close the distance. Our lips are together for no more than a second before there's a loud beep and both of us quickly put distance between each other. I look down at my feet, my face heating up upon being flustered. Stiles gets out of his jeep, coming into the garage.

"Hey Ash" he smiles. "Hi Derek" he says, giving the male a nod. At least Stiles didn't see us.

"Hey" I smile. Derek gives him a greeting nod in return. "Uh..Scott's inside, he's studying"

"Yeah, we're gonna study for chemistry together" he tells me.

"Good boys" I grin. Stiles rolls his eyes and walks towards the house. It's oddly silent in the garage as we both shuffle awkwardly. "You don't have to stay if.." I don't finish the sentence, he gets what I mean.

"It's okay" he nods. "I want to help"

"Okay, thanks" I say with a small smile. He walks back over and we get back to work. The tension melts away and it doesn't take long for us to be smiling and joking around again. I still don't know what to make of the sort of kiss. I know I want to kiss him, I think he maybe wants to kiss me too. For now, just being in his company is enough.

..

..

 **Awkward kiss-blocking! I had to tease you guys with a sort of kiss! I couldn't resist! Sorry :P It's about time I wrote some Mechanic!Ash :) It's the season finale next chapter! I swear, they better fix this review thing! Favourite, follow and review!**


	18. Burn It To The Ground

**Yay! The bug for my reviews got fixed! I have alot to address so i'm going to do it a little different for this chapter. Firstly, thank you for all the reviews! Shout out to..**

 **Ihong (chap15)-I think this story's better than the first one time and thanks!**

 **Serena Sterling (chap16)-An Oscar, really? Aw thanks! You're so sweet :)**

 **Bree (chap16)-I** _ **love**_ **their cuddling scenes too!**

 **vtennis2010 (chap15)-Yay! I love new reviewers :) I'm glad you like the story and my style, I hope to keep you hooked!**

 **Guest (chap16)-Tyler can be a little cock-block, so can Scott :P But, he is a little cutie pie! And yes, Scott's accepting Derek..sort of, he's trying at least :P**

 **Ihong (chap10)-Here's another update, glad you love it :)**

 **Tesla424 (chap17)-Im so glad you like old muscle cars 'cause i'm a big fan too! And I have a little something something in mind for later ;) I will try to do more Ash and her car! The teasing..the cure is coming ;) That barely made sense :P**

 **Serena Sterling (chap17)-Loving the all the adjectives as always :) I know, my teasing.. Don't worry, have hope :)**

 **Guest (chap17)-Ah, Stiles the cock-block too :P I'm updating every day so stay tuned!**

 **Bree (chap17)-Yes! I love the cars coming in more too! More to come :D The short kiss.. Mohaha! I'm cruel!**

 **Bri P (chap17)-I love Derek too! And they are cute :3 Why don't you like little Stilinski?**

 **GabbyW626 (chap17)-Wow! I'm glad :) I shall keep writing!**

 **Wow. Thanks for the support guys! Sorry if I missed any, tell me if I have and you'l be added in double time next chapter :) End the season finale guys!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

 _The following night_

Things have quickly gone downhill. Peter took Mom out on a date and now Derek's trying to kill Jackson. Yesturday we were both calm and now Derek's trying to kill people. Great. This day's turning out to be fan-friggin'-tastic. Note that sarcasm.

"And noone cares that you're the captain of the la crosse team" Derek snarks.

"Excuse me" Scott says from the top of the stairs. "Co-captain" Scott leaps down and lands between Derek and Jackson, shifted.

"Move" Derek growls, shifting himself.

"No" Scott says.

"Fine, then i'll kill you too" Derek says. I step out into the room, fully shifted. I know Derek wouldn't kill Scott, he couldn't, he does care about Scott. But hearing him say those words was enough for my jaguar to come out in protectiveness. Derek turns and sees me, face screwing up a little in betrayel and suprise. No, I don't want to fight Derek. Yes, killing Jackson would make things alot easier. But..I won't let Derek hurt my brother and Scot's not going to let Derek kill Jackson. There's a loud whistling sound outside. "Cover your eyes!" Derek yells. We drop to the floor as a flash bulb comes through the window. I cover my eyes, trying to find Scott. There's gunfire..hunters. _Argents_.

"No!" I yell, seeing Scott fall to the ground, gunshot to the chest blood dripping from his mouth. I scramble over to him. "No, no, no" I start to panic, smelling the wolfsbane.

"Go! Get him and get out of here! I'll hold them off" Derek yells at me. I shake my head at him. "Ashlee, go!" he yells. I grab Jackson as he tries to run. I pull him close, baring my fangs.

"You take my brother and get him as far away as you can, got it?" I say, threatening him with my fangs. He nods quickly. I heave Scott up, handing him to Jackson. "GO! NOW!" I order. Jackson drags Scott out with him. I rush over to Derek's side.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"They hurt him. I'm going to kill them" I growl, getting up. Derek grabs my arm.

"Don't do this, just go. I can hold them off" he says.

"I can't do that. I can't leave you to fight them on your own" I say. "You know I can't" he looks at me, studying my eyes.

"Then i'm coming with you" he says firmly. I nod. "You realise there's a huge chance we won't make it out of this, right?" he asks.

"I know. But we have more of a chance together" I say.

"Okay, so just in case we don't make it out of this, I have to know I did this" Derek says. Before I can ask what he means, his lips mould over mine. Wha..wow. It takes me a second to get my bearings and realise he's kissing me. I bring my hands to his hair, pulling him closer and kissing him back. We both pull back, looking at each other. "Are you ready?" Derek asks. I grab his face, bringing our lips together again. He kisses me back instantly, arms coming around my lower back while I continue to hold him. We pull back after a few long seconds, keeping really close.

"Yeah..i'm ready" I say, my forehead resting againist his. He kisses me one more time, softly, just a peck. We pull away from each other, both heading to the door. Derek rips it open, going out first. We both roar at the hunters, guns and crossbows immediantly trained on us.

..

When I wake up, my arms are pinned above my head.

"Good, you're up" a vaguely familiar voice says. I blink a few times, focusing my vision. I'm in a dark room, arms chained above my head. I pull at them and feel a burning pain course through my body. I grunt in pain, feeling myself shift back and forth between jaguar and human uncontrollably. Then it stops. A bright light's turn on, pointed at me. I look and see her. I see Allison. And the woman with her, they look alike, she's blonde. Of course..it's Kate, again. "And this one, she's a whole different species" Kate says. "I still don't know exactly which one though" Allison steps forward cautiously, eyes studying me but wide with shock and fear. "This is Scott's sister?" Kate asks. I feel anger fill me, my eyes changing and glowing green. I roar at her, baring my fangs angerily at the mention of my brother. "Wow" Kate smirks. "Even more fight than Derek" she says.

"Wh-where is he?" I ask Kate. "Where is Derek?!" I demand, eyes flaring up green again in anger.

"He's sitting pretty in the other room. Don't worry sweetie, he's alive" Kate assures me. "For now" she grins. I roar at her again, Allison stepping back in fear. I'm cut off when I feel that electricty corsing through me again, even worse than before.

"Kate, stop. Stop!" I hear Allison say. I feel it increase even higher and I howl in pain, trying to pull myself free of the chains. My heart speeds up until it's all I hear. She turns it up even higher again and i'm passing out in 2 seconds flat, unable to cope with the pain anymore.

..

I feel someone grabbing me, touching me.

"N-no" I say, waking up.

"Ash? Ash? Are you okay? Ash!" I open my eyes, it's Scott. "I'm gonna get you down, alright?" he says. I nod weakly. There's a screeching sound before I fall forward. Scott catches me. "Stay with me, alright? We're getting out of here" he says.

"N-no, we have to-to get Derek first" I say, feeling my body slowly healing from the electrical hell I was just put through.

"I have to get you out first" Scott says. I shake my head.

"I'm-i'm okay..go. Kate could come back any s-second, get him, we leave together" I say. Scott sighs and nods reluctantly. "I'm glad y-you're okay" I say to him.

"I'll be right back, okay? Hold on" he says. I nod and slide to sit on the floor. Scott runs off down the hall. I keep slipping in and out of conciousness. At least my stomach's healed, Kate didn't decide I needed it teared open a 3rd time.

"You really wanna talk about this right now?" I hear Derek. I sigh in relief. I thought Kate was going to kill him, I was worried.

"He's going after Allison and her family" Scott says. Thank god, Scott's with him. "He's going to kill them"

"So what?!" Derek asks him angerily.

"Tell me how to stop him"

"You can't, alright?! Now- I don't know when Kate's coming back so get me right now! Get me out right now!" Derek yells.

"If you promise you'll help me" Scott says. I move to get up, go in there and smack their heads together but..i'm still pressing the electricty out.

"You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend? Huh? For your stupid little teenaged crush that means absolutely nothing!? You're not in love Scott! You're 16 years old! You're a child!" Derek yells. I get a little angry at that. I can tell Scott's in love, that much is obvious. He puts his life in danger everytime he's near her, hell even when he thinks about her. "Your sister is here too, get me down so we can get out of here before Kate comes back!"

"Just tell me you'll help me"

"We don't have time for this! If Kate comes back, i'm dead and so is Ash. We need to go get her. Get me out right now!" Derek yells at him.

"You think i'd let Kate hurt my sister?" Scott asks him.

"You think I would either?" Derek asks him.

"I don't know what the hell you'd do when it comes to her" Scott says. "I know you'd easily jump into her bed-"

"It wasn't like that" Derek defends.

"I don't care how it was. It stops, now" Scott says. "If I even catch a whiff of you anywhere near her room again, i'll kill you" Scott threatens. Jesus Scott. I thought he understood where Derek and I stand. I pull myself up. I use the walls to lean on to help me walk. I can hear them arguing about Peter, his nurse, Laura. Peter lured Laura back to kill her for her alpha status. And I can feel how pissed off, how full of rage Derek is at that new fact. I grit my teeth, my eyes lighting up green as I force the electrical waste from my body. I let out a long, pained breath. Thank god that's gone.

"I'll help you" Derek says, ripping himself free from his other cuff. I stumble into the room.

"Great, everyone's happy" I say, Both males turn to me, wide-eyed. "Now, junk away boys so we can get the hell out of here" I say. They rush over.

"Ash" Derek sighs in relief. Scott moves to hold me up quickly, making it so Derek can't touch me. I'd roll my eyes but I don't want to waste the energy it takes to do so.

"I'm fine, I just need some time to heal" I assure them. "We need to go, now" I say. Scott nods. He brings my arm around his shoulders so I can lean on him to walk. Derek quickly gets changed. I chuckle at the older wolf. But males look at me, confused. "Thought you said i'd never see that again" I smile weakly. Derek grins a little.

"Come on" Scott says impatiently, obviously feeling uncomfortable. I nod, letting him lead me out. We get outside and start walking towards Derek's house. Derek stops, looking around. "What's wrong?" Scott asks.

"Something's not right..this was too-" Derek says.

"Don't say too easy!" Scott cuts him off. "When people say 'too easy', bad things happen" Scott says. Derek nods, catching his breath and he's still healing from his shock treatment too. Scott looks down at me. "You okay?" he asks.

"I've been better" I smile weakly. Scott smiles back.

"I'm glad you're okay big sister" he says. I smile properly, a little more weight coming off my shoulders at hearing him call me that again. I hear that same whistle and see Derek go down, arrow in his chest. Then one's in his leg. We look over and see Allison and Kate, Allison with her crossbow.

"Your eyes!" Derek yells. The flash bulb hits the tree. Scott's too shocked to move and he's blinded, letting me go in the process. I fall into the leaves, Scott falling down beside me. Derek rips his arrows out. He grabs Scott and I, dragging us away from the two Argents. "GO!" Derek yells, pushing us both forward.

"Derek, get up" I say. He shakes his head, laying in the leaves. I feel tears come to my eyes, he's giving himself up for us. "Get up!" I say, dropping to his side. Derek shakes his head again. "I'm not leaving without you, get up" I plead. He pulls me forward, kissing me deeply.

"Please just go" he says, pushing me back softly. He's saying goodbye. I shake my head.

"I'm not leaving you" I tell him.

"You have too. Go!" he says. Allison comes towards us and I turn and growl at the girl.

"Now shoot them before I have to shoot myself" Kate sighs, walking over.

"You said we were just going to catch them" Allison says.

"We did that. Now we're going to kill them" Kate shrugs. My growl dies in my throat when she shoots. She shoots Derek. The male falls into the leaves, not moving. "See? Not that hard" Kate comes over to us and I scramble in front of Scott, eyes wide. She killed Derek. There's no way she's touching Scott. "I know that look, that's the 'you're going to have to do it yourself' look" Kate says, pointing her gun at Scott. I snarl at her, tears filling my eyes.

"You're not hurting him" I warn her, getting into her line of fire. "But I am going to kill you for killing Derek" I promise her, watery eyes starting to glow green.

"Why would you care what happens to him?" Kate asks. "Wait..did you fall for the big bad wolf? Aw, sweetie. You stupid, stupid girl" she taunts. I send her a warning growl.

"Kate, what are you doing? " Allison asks, trying to stop her. Kate pushes Allison to the ground, cocking her gun. Crap.

"You should've stayed out of this Ashlee" Kate says to me. I close my eyes, accepting my fate.

"Kate!" I open my eyes and see Chris, Allison's Dad. "I know what you did" he says. "Put the gun down"

"I did what I was told to do" Kate says, keeping her gun on me. I keep Scott behind him, away from Kate.

"Noone asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house, ones that were human" Chris says. My eyes widen. Wait..Kate did this? Kate killed Derek's family? I knew it was a hunter but her? Allison looks as shocked as me. "Look what you're doing right now. You're holding a gun to a 21 year old girl, no proof she's spilt human blood"

"I'm not here for her, i'm here for Scott. If she gets in my way then I have no choice" Kate says, looking at me. I bare my fangs. Chris tells her the code in french, translates to ' _We hunt those who hunt us_ '. Kate's finger squeezes the trigger. Chris draws his gun on Kate, getting her attention again.

"Put the gun down" he says. He shoots past her, hitting the tree. "Before I put you down" Chris warns her. Kate lowers her gun. The Hale house door creaks open. "Allison, get back" Chris says. She gets to her feet, getting behind us. I pull Scott up, getting him behind me again.

"What? What is it?" Allison asks.

"It's the alpha" I say, shifting. The alphas shoots out from the house, he's fast, agile. He starts knocking us down one by one. He takes Scott down. I crotch down over Scott protectively, glowing green us looking for him. I'm swept off my feet as well, I didn't even see him. I hear Kate yelp in pain, gun firing.

"No!" Allison yells, running into the house after the pair. Scott panics, moving to go after her.

"No, stay here" I order.

"No, I have to protect her-"

"Stay here!" I demand. "I'll get Allison out" I assure him. "I won't hurt her" I promise him. Scott nods and I run in after her. Allison didn't want to kill us, she tried to stop Kate. She's not like them, not yet at least. Which means she doesn't deserve to die trying to save a woman who deserves death and alot more. I stop next to Allison. Peter has his claws to Kate's throat. Allison's crying, realising her Aunt's a murderer.

"Say your sorry, and i'll let her go" Peter says to Kate. Allison looks at me for help. I stay at Allison's side. I said i'd protect Allison. I'm not protecting Kate. Not after what she did to Derek's family. If Peter wasn't going to kill her, I definitely would. I would cut her up, let her scream for the disgusting acts she commited. I don't care if it makes me sound like a monster, the line between human and supernatural monsters has wavered. Alot. Humans can be monsters. Kate Argent? She's a monster. And if getting revenge would make me a monster too..then i'm okay with that. But right now, Peter's getting his revenge. And i'm okay with that too. For Derek's sake. For his family's sake. For the sake of every innocent werewolf, shapeshifter, whatever creature or person she's ever hurt.

"I'm sorry" Kate breathes out in fear. Peter rips her throat open, letting her body drop to the floor. Allison sobs, looking at her Aunt's dead body of the ground. Peter sighs in content.

"I don't know about you Allison but that apology didn't sound very sincere" Peter says, setting her in his sights. I step in front of her. I send him a warning growl. I can feel Allison's suprised that i'm protecting her. Allison is an innocent person right now, Peter's not hurting her. "You think that's a good idea?" Peter asks, coming closer to me. I hear a low growl behind me. Derek comes in, shifted. I feel the rock in my gut pass and my body flood with relief..he's alive. He gives me a nod, coming to my side. "Picking that feline over your own family?" Peter asks.

"Ash didn't murder my sister" Derek growls. Scott comes in next, coming up on my other side.

"And the little brother..of course" Peter snarks.

"Run" Scott tells Allison. Allison turns and runs out. The three of us run at him. Peter easily throws us in different directions, blocking our attacks. Derek's back on his feet first. He claws out at Peter but Peter throws him into the ceiling, slamming him into the floor again. Scott runs and jumps on his back only to be thrown off and into the floor. Before Peter can attack him again, I run at him. I duck away from his claws, not letting them meet my stomach again. I jump up, kicking into his chest and flipping back and onto my feet with a growl. Peter strikes me across the face. Derek roars, running at him. Peter grabs me, throwing me into Scott as he tries to get up. Derek gets to Peter before he can recover from the action. He elbows Peter across the face. Peter's face starts to morph, huge fangs showing for a second. Oh no..he's starting to shift. He grabs Derek and throws him into the wooden crates across the room. I get off Scott, the young beta tackling Peter. Peter stops him, kneeing him in the stomach and slamming him againist the wall. I get up, grabbing Peter and pulling him away from Scott. Scott moves out of the way and we both slam him face first into the wall, attacking his sides with knees and claws. His face morphs again before me elbows behind him, knocking Scott down. He grabs me by my throat, lifting me up. I punch out, making his head snap to the side and morph. I do it again and it happens again. I'm thrown into the doorway, hitting my head and falling back to the ground. Scott gets up and his head's slammed into the table and he's thrown down beside me. We watch dizzily as Peter shifts into the alpha, growling. Derek gets up, he looks weakened. The alpha grabs him and tosses him like a ragdoll through the window and outside. He turns to Scott and I. I roar at him, challenging him. I have to protect Scott. I push Scott towards the door as the alpha charges at me. Peter tackles me through the window Derek went through, me landing on my back with the alpha on top of me. He roars in my face, demanding I back down. I growl, clawing into his stomach. Scott grabs him, ripping him off me. He grabs Scott, lifting him up. He roars at Scott but Scott just kicks off his chest. The alpha drops Scott and falls backwards. I feel hands on me. I look up and Derek's pulling me out of the way. There's a horn and then Stiles throws a molotov at the alpha. The alpha catches it but Scott tosses Allison her bow. She quickly locks the bow into place, loads an arrows and shoots the molotov. It explodes the second the glass smashes, engulfing the alpha's arm in fire. Scott comes over to Derek and I. He helps me sit up. "Are you okay?" he asks. I nod, a little short for breath.

"Scott, your head" I say, touching my fingers to the blood trickling down his temple.

"I'm fine" he nods. "I promise" he says. I nod, grateful he's okay. I turn to look at Derek.

"I thought you were dead, you friggin' asshole" I say to Derek half-heartedly, leaning my forehead againist his.

"No, i'm okay" he assures me. "Are you?" I nod with a small smile. Derek leans in and kisses me softly. "Good" he says. Scott avoids looking at us. "Get back" Derek says to us. He gets in front of us both protectively when Jackson throws a second molotov, engulfing the alpha's whole body in fire. Peter roars in pain. He starts stumbling towards Allison and her Dad.

"No!" Scott yells. He runs over, kicking the alpha's legs, making him fall away from them. He burns up, shifting back to human. Peter falls to his knees, body burnt to a crisp. Allison goes over to Scott. She kisses him, despite his wolfed features. As they kiss, Scott shift back to human. "Why'd you do that?" Scott asks her.

"Because I love you" Allison says. Chris wakes up, looking around at the damage. Derek looks at me, eyebrows furrowed. Then he looks over at Peter. Peter's still alive.

"No, you said-" I start, grabbing his arm. I know what he's thinking.

"I'm sorry" Derek says.

"You promised me. If you do this, there's no way out for him. Derek, don't" I plead. He pulls my hand off his arm. I'm hurt so it's an easy task for him. He stands up.

"I can't. He killed Laura" Derek says. His jaw's set angrily as he walks over to Peter. He stands over him.

"Wait!" Scott yells. "You said the cure comes from the one that bit you" Derek closes his eyes. I know deep down he wants to give Scott his cure but..avenging his sister comes before that. We should have known. Family comes before anything and everything, especially to someone who's suffered loss as great as Derek has. It's why Peter is the way he is. I pull myself to my feet shakily.

"Derek, if you do this, Scott's dead" I say, trying to sway him. "I can't lose my brother, you know that" I say. "Please" I plead. He looks at me, torn.

"I have too" he says. "I'm so sorry" he says geniunely.

"You've al-already decided..I-I can smell it on you!" Peter taunts, eyes turning red. Derek's face screws up in anger.

"Wait! No, no, no, don't!" Scott yells. But it's too late. Derek claws out Peter's throat, his blood spilling into the leaves. I feel my heart drop. Derek stands up, looking at us.

"I'm the alpha now" he says. He looks at me and I sigh sadly, looking back at him in betrayal. I bring my hands over my nose and mouth, keeping my hurt tears back. Derek goes to say something but I shake my head, stopping him. I really thought me, Scott and Tyler meant something to him. Even if we still do, I should have known. I should have known he needed his revenge on Peter for his older sister. It just hurts. My chest hurts..I thought me and Derek were sort of _something_. I really thought we could cure Scott and he could be normal and he could be happy with Allison. At least i'd know my brothers and mother were safe. But now..not anymore. I squeeze my eyes shut, keeping the tears in my eyes from falling. I feel someone touch my arm. I don't care who it is. I pull away from them hastily and shift, running into the woods.

..

..

 **Poor Ash :( I feel like they kissed** _ **alot**_ **in this chapter. I'm okay with that :D Favourite, follow and review!**


	19. Complications

**Season 2! Here we go! The Kanima and Jackson aren't going to be the season 2 'monster' by the way ;) I'm taking my own massive spin on season 2 after this chapter! Shout out to Serena Sterling and Bree for reviewing! Poor Ash :( You're going to have some more of those feels this chapter too sorry :( But no! Derek is definitely not a bad guy! But you'll see a new side of him during their 'journey' (I don't want to give away too much). But enjoy and get ready for my season 2!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

 _A week later_

I run with Scott through the forest. The moon's out, my body's pumping with energy that I need to get rid off. Same with Scott. We jump over a river, catching ourselves on the bank. I nod to Scott. He nods back. I go one way, he goes the other. We haven't talk anymore about our fight but we're getting past it. I keep running, needing to rid myself of this energy. I skid to a stop when I hear the sound of leaves brushing. I look around with glowing green eyes, trying to identify the person or creature. I double take when I see two red eyes. Derek. I haven't seen or heard from him at all for almost a week but i'd know that scent anywhere. I take off as fast as I can. I can't be around him, not after he robbed Scott of his chance to be human.

"Ash, wait!" Derek yells after me. I keep running, hearing him behind me. But he's the alpha now, he's stronger, he's faster, he's everything more than me. He catches up to me, grabbing my arm. I growl at him, ripping my arm away from him. "Let me explain-"

"My brother has a target on him because of you!" I snap, shoving the older male away from me. "You know the hunters will come after him, right? Which mean they're gonna go after Tyler too"

"I wouldn't let Tyler get hurt" he says.

"You once said that about Scott and look at him now" I snark.

"Peter killed my sister, he murdered her! He ripped her in half! You have to understand why I did what I did" he says, walking back up to stand in front of me.

"I do understand. So you can understand why I have to protect my family" I say.

"What does that mean?" he asks me.

"It means, if one of them is..killed" it pain's me to say the word. "I'm coming for you" I warn him. Derek's eyes narrow. I still have feelings for Derek, of course I do, but I can't believe he broke his promise. A scream rips through the air. I know that voice..Lydia. My ears perk up and I sprint off after the sound. I hear someone behind me but turn around to see Scott this time. I look around, finding Derek's nowhere in sight.

"That was Lydia, come on" he says. I nod, following him.

..

Stiles comes out of the hospital, holding Lydia's hospital gown. He gets into his jeep, Scott and I already inside. Allison runs over too.

"What are you doing here? Someone will see you" Scott panics.

"I don't care, she's my best friend. I'm coming with you" she says. Both males turn to me for permission. I nod, making room in the backseat for her. Allison smiles and get in, sitting beside me. Scott sniffs Lydia's gown and begins directing Stiles. I feel eyes on me. I turn to Allison, the girl quickly looking away.

"What?" I ask her.

"I just..I wanted to thank you" she says, turning to look at me again. "What you did with Peter..the way you protected me" she says.

"It's nothing" I say.

"It's not nothing" she says. "You saved me, and i'm grateful" she says. I give her a small smile.

"You're welcome" I say. She smiles back. A silence comes over us but it isn't awkward.

..

"You've got to be kidding me" I sigh. We're walking towards the Hale house. Lydia's scent leads here.

"Maybe she was looking for Derek, for an alpha?" Scott suggests. I nod, it is possible. Stiles finds a trip wire, tripping it. We turn around and Scott's caught, hanging upside down. I move to get him down. "Wait, someone's coming. Go, hide" he says. I go to object. "Ash, go" he says. I let Stiles pull me away. I hide with Stiles and Allison but stay ready to jump in if needed. It's Chris and 2 other hunters. I hold myself back for as long as I can. But when Chris talks about the medical procedure of cutting someone in half..that's it for me. I come out, growling. The 2 other hunters pull their guns on me.

"No, she's okay. She's with Scott" Chris tells them. He motions for them to lower their guns. I lock eyes with Chris, sending him a silent threat. He gives me a nod and the 3 walk away.

"What were you thinking? They could have hurt you" Scott says. I use my claw to cut him loose, dropping him on his head.

"You're welcome" I say. Stiles and Allison come over, helping him up. Scott gives me a worried but grateful smile. We look around Derek's place. It stinks of dog and Derek in here.

"So has he talked to you?" I turn to find Scott looking at me.

"What? Who?" I ask. He motions around the house.

"Derek" he answers. I look away from Scott.

"We should hurry up" I say, changing the subject.

"We're gonna have to talk about it sooner or later" Scott says.

"Yeah, i'm good with never" I say.

"A blind man could see you have feelings for the man-"

"Stop it" I warn him, turning to Scott.

"I know what he did hurt you, it hurt me too. But you can't just ignore that problem, it'll make you feel worse, trust me" Scott says. "I'm not saying forgive him and sail off into the sunset together, i'm just saying maybe you should go say to him what you need to say" Scott suggests. "Don't let this build up Ash"

"Okay..Scott, I appreciate the concern. Really, I do" I say with a sigh. "But you need to stay out of my personal business, alright?"

"I saw how you two were together" Scott says anyway. I sigh heavily. I don't want to have this conversation. "You brought out sides of each other that i've never seen before. So for your own well-being, you need to get past this anger"

"Anger? You think that's what this is?" I ask. "Yes, i'm angry but i'm upset most of all. I put my trust in him and he threw it back in my face. I-I don't know if I ever want to see him again. I just..I don't know. Scott, you're my brother and you're everything to me. He just put you in danger and I don't think I can forgive that. I just.. Drop it" I say. I don't know how much of what I just said is true. Can I forgive him? Can I even talk to him without exploding like I did earlier today?

"Ash-"

"That's the last time you bring it up either" I cut him off before walking out.

"Can you please talk to me?" Scott asks. I sigh and turn back around to face him. "I hate seeing you upset, you can talk to me"

"I don't want talk to anyone, not about this" I say with a sad smile. I walk out of the house, passing Stiles and Allison who look awkward having heard all that. I sit on the deck, holding my head in my hands. What the hell am I going to do? What, I just avoid Derek for the rest of my life? Beacon Hills is a small town, they would become hard very quickly. What am I supposed to say to the guy? I sort of said what I needed to earlier. Well..I threatened to kill him and I shoved him. Damn. I really need to get a grip on my temper. Then again, what's the point in talking to him? He'll apologise again but that's going to undo what happened. He's still the alpha, Scott's still a wolf, the hunters will still come. But I can't sit here and stay I don't miss the man because I do. I miss his werewolf ass climbing through my window at night and staying over, making my bed smell like dog which I suprisingly have gotten used too and come to like..sort of. And I know Tyler misses having him around too. What he said to me the other day..it broke my heart;

 _"Ash?" Ty says._

 _"Yeah?" I say, going over to where he's sitting at the dining room table, drawing with crayons._

 _"Where's Derek?" he asks me._

 _"Um.." I clam up._

 _"Did I do something wrong? Does he not like me anymore?" he asks, looking at me with fearful eyes. I shake my head, my chest aching at the thought of my brother blaming himself._

 _"No sweetie, I promise you, Derek loves you and you've done nothing wrong" I assure him._

 _"Then why does he never come over anymore?" Tyler asks me. I pull out a chair, sitting down beside him._

 _"It's my fault, okay? Derek and I, we..we had a..arguement" I tell him._

 _"Can't you just kiss and say sorry?" he asks. I give him a sad smile and shake my head._

 _"No, it's not that easy Ty" I say. I clear my throat. "Now show me these pictures you've been drawing" I say, looking down at the scattered papers._

Can we just kiss and say sorry? Is it that simple? I really don't think it is. It's not like Derek ate the last doughnut, he put Scott on a friggin' hunter's hitlist! And now Scott's technically an omega which makes it even worse. I hate how things have happened, I hate being in this situation. I want a human brother that can walk out in public with his girlfriend happily and safely. I want a little brother and mother with guaranteed safety. And I want that damn wolf in my bed every night keeping me warm and making me feel safe. But none of that's happened and probably will never happen. I know 'you can't have your cake and eat it too' but I feel like I didn't get the cake, like I didn't even get to barely see the cake. But life's funny that way, in a cruel, unhumorous way.

"Nothing" I look up, finding the 3 walking out of the house.

"You found nothing?" I ask.

"Lydia's not here. I'm not even sure she really ever was" Scott says. I nod, jumping down to my feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" Allison asks me.

"I'm fine" I tell her. Scott and Stiles frown at me.

"Ash-" Stiles tries. I pull away from them all.

"I'll meet you at home" I say to Scott before racing off into the woods by myself.

..

I'm sitting on my bed, looking down at my phone in my hand. They found Lydia, she's okay. Noone's sure what the hell happened but she's okay so that's what matters. I stare at my phone with a scowl as ' _Romeo_ ' pops up on the screen.

"James" I answer the phone with a sigh.

"Hey" he says. "Are you free for dinner tonight?" he asks.

"Listen, i'm not looking for what you are" I say. "I think you should stop calling me" I say.

"What? Because I what I said the other day?" he asks with a scoff.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Just..find a girl who can give you what you want because it's not me" I say. Yeah, it's about what he said but it's also Derek. I care about him and i'm not going to pretend to be interested in James when I know i'm interested in Derek. Even though that whole situation is messed up itself. And you'd think James would have got the hint after Derek answered my phone last week.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just thought maybe you'd want too" he says.

"Want to what? Go somewhere 'just the two of us' and sleep with you?" I ask him. He sighs but doesn't give me an answer. "That's not who I am, sorry. If you know what's good for you, you'd stop calling and lose my number" I say before hanging up. I toss my phone onto my bedside table, hanging my head in my hands. My head snaps up when I hear something. My nostrils flare angrily when Derek climbs in my window. "Get out" I say. I need to be alone.

"Just hold on, let me explain-"

"Get. Out." I ground out.

"No"

"No? You think you have a choice?" I ask, standing up. "You need to leave, right now" I say, trying to keep myself calm before I decide to throw Derek through my window. Not out it, _through_ it. Derek stands his ground, the way an alpha should. That's not the smartest decision with me though.

"Just hear me out" Derek says.

"Hear you out?" I repeat. "I don't have to do anything for you Derek. You easily enough broke your promise to me" I say. I hate the way my voice breaks when I say it. It hurt alot more than I thought it would to have Derek break his promise. "Why should I even be talking to you?" I ask him.

"Because that's not how it happened and you know that. She was my sister. You know you would have done the same thing to me if that was Scott not Laura" he says. I growl a little, fangs threatening to come out at the thought of Scott ending up like Derek's older sister did. "And you know it wasn't easy for me to do that to you and Scott"

"Do I? Because it looked easy enough for you" I say.

"You know I have feelings for you, I always will. Don't say it like I wanted to turn againist you and Scott from the beginning because I didn't" he says. I swallow thickly. "I had to avenge my sister. I had too. I couldn't for the rest of my family so I _had_ to for Laura. It had to me" he says.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your sister, I am. If I could change it, I wouldn't hesitate to give you back your sister, but I can't. And you're not the only one who's struggling here" I say.

"I know, we're all struggling. You especially-"

"Don't do that" I cut him off. "I can handle myself. Don't make excuses for me"

"Okay. I wish what happened didn't have to happen, but it did. And i'm sorry that meant stepping over you and your brother to do it"

"Yeah..i'm sorry too" I say, ending the conversation. Derek had different ideas.

"I see how you are with your brothers. How protective you are of them. I was like you as well. But my family's gone. My sister too. I just murdered my Uncle, the only person I had left" he says.

"What are you doing?" I ask him, frowning. He sounds like he's pleading his case. That's not how Derek usually is.

"I'm trying to make you understand" he says. He walks up to me and I watch him closely, not sure what he means by that. "I'll admit, you and your brothers were 2nd. Finding who killed Laura was the whole reason I came back to Beacon Hills. But I swear, I never planned to step over you. But you _were_ 2nd. _Were_ "

"Where does that leave us now then?" I ask him. "Behind the Argents? Other hunters? Where-"

"That makes you 1st" he says. I don't say anything, just watch him. "You're my family now. You and Tyler and even though Scott doesn't particularly like me, him too. And I want to keep all 3 of you safe, even Stiles" he says. His hand comes up to wipe away a stray tear that's fallen down my cheek. "I still care about what happens to you. I still care about _you_ " he says quietly. It's quiet for a long moment, both looking at each other. Derek steps closer, leaning closer to me. I think I will, but I don't move away. I actually find myself leaning closer to him too. When Derek's lips touch mine, I start to kiss him back softly. His hand comes up to craddle my face as he kisses me. I thread my hands through his hair. One of his hands come to the small of my back, pulling me closer. I lean into him, draping my arms over his shoulders, deepening the kiss. Wait.. What the hell am I doing? I backtrack, quickly pulling away from the alpha and putting some distance between us.

"N-no, I-I don't want this" I say, not meeting his eyes.

"Ash" he sighs. I know he can hear my heartbeat and we both know I was just lying. "We can fix all this, just give me another chance. Let me make it up to you"

"No. Please, just go" I plead, eyes starting to well with tears. He's not using my feelings for him againist me. I'm not going to forgive him after 1 kiss. Derek gives me a pleading look. "I need you to leave, now" I say firmly. I need to be alone to work through all this crap.

"Wait-"

"Derek, get out!" I yell at him, my tears falling. Derek meets my eyes and nods. He leaves out the window. I'm not sure how I should react to all that. I sit down on my bed. I rub my hands down my face and wipe away my tears with a sigh. What the hell am I supposed to do? I know I care about Derek and I know he cares about me. I just wish what happened with Peter didn't happen, that it went a different way. But it didn't. And I don't know what to do.

"Ash, what happened?" Scott asks, coming in my room.

"Just get out!" I yell at him. His face falls. "I'm..i'm sorry just please. Leave me alone" I sigh, feeling guilty now. "Scott. _Please_ " I say.

"I'm just down the hall if you need me" he reminds me.

"Thanks" I say, giving him a weak smile. He closes the door again and I feel tears spill over my cheeks. I just yelled at Scott for no reason. And I feel like a bitch for doing that. But I need space. I like Derek, I mean I _really_ like Derek but..but I can't do this. I need time and I need space to figure it all out. What the hell do I do about this?

..

..

 **:( Favourite, follow and review!**


	20. Ransom

**Firstly I just want to say wow! This fic now has more reviews than the last one and only half the chapters! Thank you all you supportive buggers! You're the best! Here's my own version of season 2 :) It's sort of a supernatural apocalyptic style 'monster' problem with some actual 'Supernatural' thrown in! You'll understand more later on, sorry about the suckish, confusing sentence. Shout out to Serena Sterling, Bree, Guest, Bri P x3, Tesla424 and AlphaWolf19 x2 for reviewing! I really glad you guys are enjoying this fic so far! Bri P, honestly, it's fine you feel that way about Ashlee's reaction :) Each to their own opinion and being honest, when I was writing it I felt the same way but that's exactly why I kept it in because Ash is so protective of her brother that to have Derek take away the possibility of him being human and safe was a huge deal to her :) They won't be making up right away but she's not going to hate him either. Give it a chapter or two :) I don't mind Sterek either but I agree there's a little too much about it but not hating on the pair Sterek fans :P I like Stiles too! Guest, she most probably would but because it didn't go that way, she gets to be angry, I like writing angry Ash :) Bree, me too. That would have been too earlier for sure. Even in the programme Scott kind of just brushed it off like it wasn't a big deal but season 1 was all about finding the cure and the alpha so I think it should be a big deal so I made it so in my fic :) That's just my opnion anyway :) Yay AlphaWolf19! I'm glad you like she's a werejaguar because I was debating that fact when I started writing it but I like it, everyone's a werewolf these days! Well..that went on for awhile. Thank you to every one of you that review and read, enjoy!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Why don't you let me drive?" Derek asks after an hour of straight driving in silence. Only the purr of my engine and Tyler and Scott's soft snores in the backseat filling it.

"No. I'm fine" I say shortly.

"Listen..what happened yesturday-" he starts.

"Please don't" I cut him off with a sigh. He looks at me, confused. "Not now. Not when we're up to our necks in shit" I sigh.

"That is the perfect reason for us to do this now" Derek says. "I don't know what this journey's gonna bring, okay? I don't. I want to stay I do, but I don't. I will keep you and Scott and Tyler safe but I need to know if you feel the same way" he says. I glance in the backseat, making sure the two males are asleep. "They'll be asleep for hours" Derek tells me. "I've apologised and i'm trying here, okay? I meant what I said, even if you don't want to believe it"

"My main priorities are my brothers" I tell him. "And we're not having this conversation, not now" I say.

"I hate to ask, but when then?" he asks. "Weither it's a yes or a no, I will protect you all. I will. Me and my pack will because it's what family does" he says. "They're there, no matter what" I feel tears pricking my eyes. I should have been there. I shoud have stopped Gerard from taking Mom, and John and Chris. But I didn't. I wasn't there.

 _Scott and I didn't suspect anything when Mom wasn't home. She works late shifts all the time. But then Lydia and Allison came racing in, both girls in tears. Stiles came in not long after. The broken look on his face made my stomach drop. Their parents didn't come home either. Then we get the phone call..the phone call that changed_ _everything_ _._

 _"By now you may have noticed, your parents are missing" a male voice says over the phone._

 _"Who is this?" I ask angerily._

 _"My name is Gerard. Gerard Argent" the older man says. Allison's face falls. I feel like i'm going to be sick. "Yes, i'm Kate's father. Now, none of you have kids of your own so you couldn't understand how I felt when I discovered Peter Hale had murdered my daughter" I squeeze my eyes shut, tears burning them. I know what this is. This is a ransom call._

 _"Are they alive?" I ask the man, tears in my voice._

 _"Yes Ashlee, they are. Melissa is fine" Gerard says. He knows my name, he knows my mother, he knows too much._

 _"Okay. What do you want?" Stiles asks him._

 _"I'm going to send through co-ordinates. You follow them, you find your parents. If you make it to us, you can have them back. If not, if something were to happen to you, i'll kill them. Do you understand me?" Gerard asks firmly._

 _"You'd kill your own son?" Allison asks him, tears coating her cheeks._

 _"You must be Allison, my grand-daughter" you can hear his smile. "And yes, when it comes to my daughter, i'd kill my own son. He didn't save her, her didn't protect her" he assures her. "Now, my instructions are clear. You get here, you get them. You don't, you're all dead. After I send the co-ordinates, I will destroy this phone. Don't even think about calling for help, they'll be dead before you can even dial all 3 numbers" he warns us. "I've got some of my finest combing through Beacon Hills by the night. If you value your lives, be gone by then"_

 _"So find you and you let us all go? That's it?" I ask him._

 _"Yes"_

 _"What is this? Some kind of game to you? Just let them go" I plead._

 _"My daughter isn't going to be the only hunter that becomes the huntee" he says darkly. That makes my stomach fill with dread. He's talking about us. This is a game to him. A game where we're hunted just like he seems to think Kate was. Kate wasn't hunted, Peter killed her for revenge and justice. She's the one that hunted Derek and his family. Obviously, her father feels differently. "You should be thankful I don't kill them all just on principal. Leave immediantly. You have 3 weeks before I kill them and we come for you. All of you" Gerard says before hanging up. There's a dialtone and then a buzz, signaling we've got a message. I open it, numbers, the co-ordinates we were promised coming up on the screen. I look around the group with scared, watery eyes._

 _"What do we do?" I ask them._

"Ash? Ash, what's wrong?" Derek asks, bringing my out of the flashback from a couple hours ago. We packed a bag each and we hit the road. I had to bring Tyler, there's nowhere for him to go. And there's no way I was leaving him in Beacon Hills with hunters scoping out the place. Scott must have called Derek for help because soon he was coming too, bringing his pack with him. He insisted he rode with us, I was too worried and eager to get on the road to waste time arguing.

"Can you please drop it? Just for now?" I ask him, turning to him with watery eyes. "Please Derek"

"Okay" he nods, seeing i'm upset. My tears start to fall and I quickly wipe my eyes. "Ash, let me drive" he says, sounding concerned. "Come on, you need some rest" he says softly. I sniff behind nodding. I pull over, Stiles' Jeep with Allison, Stiles and Lydia inside stopping behind us. And Derek's camaro, with Boyd driving and Isaac and Erica as passengers, stop behind Stiles' Jeep. They're Derek's new betas. I was weary of them but they want to help us get our parents back too and I appreciate that. And they seem to have alot of respect for Derek since they didn't have the most pleasant lives before. But if they're here to help, I have no problem with them. I get out of the car, Derek getting out too. I lean againist the car, taking deep breaths and trying to calm myself down. Derek walks around my car, stopping in front of me.

"I'm fine, I just need a second" I tell him. I frown a little, it's getting harder to breath, not easier.

"Ash..what's happening?" he asks, looking concerned. I clutch my chest, trying to force my lungs to take in the oxygen i'm dragging down my throat. I hear a door open and close. Stiles runs over.

"What's going on?" Stiles asks.

"I don't know" Derek says. "Ash?" I grab Stiles' hand, bringing it to my chest over my heart. I'm trying to breath and I don't want to speak and mess it up as it's starting to burn my lungs now. Stiles' eyes widen in realisation.

"2 seconds" he says. He runs over to the Jeep. Derek touches my hand, his veins turning black.

"You're in pain" he says, eyebrows furrowing. Stiles comes racing back over.

"She's okay, here" he says, handing me the spare inhaler of Scott's he perminantly carries.

"What's that gonna do?" Derek asks. I bring it to my lips, taking a long drag from it. I sigh in relief when the chemicals open up my throat and I can breath again. I take slower breaths, feeling my heartbeat slow back down, eventually becoming normal.

"You okay now?" Stiles asks me. I nod.

"Yeah, thanks" I say, giving him a soft smile. "I didn't think that'd happen again" I say.

"I know" Stiles nods, knowing first hand what those attacks are like. He got them alot after his Mom died.

"Um..we should keep going" I say, feeling awkward under both men's gazes and the eyes of the pack from the cars behind us. Stiles nods, once again knowing first hand they can be embarassing and awkward. Stiles squeezes my shoulder, making sure I hold onto the inhaler before going back to the Jeep. I avoid Derek's eyes, going and getting in the passenger seat. This is the first time Derek's been in the driver's seat of my car so he takes a couple seconds to adjust. When he pulls out, the car slips into that thick silence.

"What was that?" Derek asks, keeping his voice down and not looking at me. I look out my window, sighing.

"A panic attack" I tell him just as quiet. I feel his eyes on me now.

"Ash" he says. "Ashlee" I turn and look at him. "Did I do that to you?" he asks, voice a little angry.

"No" I assure him. "I promise. I was stressing about Mom and..I let it get to me" I tell him. "I'm sorry you had to see that" I say, looking into my lap.

"You don't have anything to apologise for" he says. "I'm sorry I pushed you to talk"

"It's fine" I say. "I know we'll have to talk about it at some point.."

"Just not right now" he finishes for me and I nod.

"But we will. I promise" I assure him. He nods with a small smile.

"Try get some sleep" he says. I turn and look into the backseat. Scott's asleep, holding Tyler close to him. Tyler's holding onto Scott's shirt tightly, confused and scared about why we're suddenly leaving and where Mommy is. I hate that he feels like that but I know it's necessary. I'm not leaving him with a stranger or near hunters. He's safest with Scott and I. Derek's looking out for him too. He's as safe as he'll ever be right here. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before settling back into my seat. I close my eyes and lean againist the door, clutching the inhaler in my hand.

..

..

 **I told you it'd be a huge spin! Gerard's still the bad guy though! He's going to be far more bad than he was on the tv show too, he's going to be a twisted angry old man! Favourite, follow and review!**


	21. I'm On Watch

**Shout out to Serena Sterling, AlphaWolf19, BrySt1, Bree and Tesla424 for reviewing! OH MY GOD! I am SO, SO, SO, SO happy you guys like my twist! I was so nervous about it! What a relief :) I haven't taken this much of a twist on the plot in a long time! Thank you all for the kind, motivating words :,3 AlphaWolf19, I don't plan to do season 4 but I have been thinking about going more in depth with the Nagual/Werejaguar world at some point, maybe have one of those chapter/episodes where the whole thing's a narrated story telling you about something. Maybe Ash could do a whole chapter as her telling the pack about her old pack and werejaguars because Derek's the only one she's trusted to tell about her old pack too so that could be interesting :) Enjoy this chapter guys!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"We should stop for the night. You need rest too. We all do" I slowly wake up to voices.

"Where?" I can tell that voice is Derek's.

"There's gotta be a construction somewhere. We can stay in the cars, we just need to get out of sight" and that's Scott. "Just in case, you know?"

"I think i'm more scared of what Ash would do if someone messed with her car" Derek says, chuckling quietly.

"That wouldn't go too well" Scott says, chuckling too. I stir, pulling myself to sit up properly. "Here we go, she's up" Scott says. I peel my eyes open. "Must have heard us talking about your car" he grins.

"I'll kill anyone who hurts my car" I manage to slur sleepily. The corner of Derek's lips upturn, Scott smiling as well.

"Don't we know it" Scott says softly.

"What if-what if Derek crashed?" that cute voice asks. I turn to look at Tyler, the young male's dark hair sticking up in all directions. Derek raises an eyebrow, looking at me.

"I'd kill him too" I smirk, turning back in my seat and looking out the window.

"Good to know" Derek says. "Hey..you feeling better?" Derek asks me.

"Why? What happened?" Scott asks.

"Nothing" I say, not wanting Scott to know about the panic attack. Derek opens his mouth, probably to object. I clear my throat pointedly and he stops himself. "I was just tired, but i'm fine now" I tell Scott.

"Mmm hmm" Scott nods. I don't think he believes me at all.

"What's this about stopping?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Just for the night, everyone needs a proper sleep. We'll push on at dawn" Scott says, slipping into that alpha role even though Derek's right here. Derek nods in agreement, trusting Scott's judgement which has me smiling a little.

"What about here?" Derek asks as we slow to a cruise, going through a wooded area. "Up here" he says, pointing it out.

"Derek, do you think there will be water so I can swim?" Tyler asks him. Derek smiles fondly. Ty really likes Derek and I really do think it's the same vice versa.

"Maybe. But not tonight alright? Maybe before we go tomorrow" Derek tells him.

"Okay" Ty nods. I turn to him, scruffing his hair. Scott smiles a little. We pull up in a small area, surrounded with trees blocking us off from the dirt road we were following.

..

We quickly get sleeping areas ready as it's already dark. Derek's volunteered to take watch over us all for the night. I help Tyler get a blanket and everything set up in the front seat as i've given the backseat to Allison and Scott. Derek checks on his betas, and of course his car, while Scott makes sure Lydia and Stiles are alright. Everyone retires to their respective cars, settling in for bed.

"Get some more sleep alright?" I say to Tyler, brushing his hair out of his face. He nods, curling up with the blanket. "You two as well" I say to Scott and Allison.

"What about you?" Scott asks.

"Don't worry about me"

"Ashlee" Allison says, looking concerned.

"I'm gonna help Derek look out for abit then i'll be in. It's okay, i'll be fine" I assure them. "If any of you are awake when I come in, i'm kicking you asses" I say half-heartedly, both of them cracking a grin.

"Try get him to sleep..just a little. He drove for hours" Scott says.

"He listens to me just about as much as he listens to Stiles"

"Yeah, but he doesn't have a huge crush on Stiles" Scott says. A deadly thick silence comes over the car.

"That's debatable" Allison teases, breaking it. I chuckle awkwardly.

"That's true" I say. "I'll be back later. Sleep" I drop a kiss Tyler's head and close the door. I go over to where Derek's sitting on a tree stump. "Hey" I say. He looks up.

"Hey" he says tiredly.

"You should really get some sleep" I say.

"Can't" he mumbles, looking down at his feet.

"Why not?" I ask. He shrugs. I sigh and crotch down in front of him, catching his eyes. "Derek, why not?"

"Because everyone I care about is in danger" he says, looking away from me again.

"We're safe. We have each other" I assure him.

"I can't sleep without someone on watch. Everyone's going to sleep, and you should too" Derek says.

"I'll make you a deal" I say. He meets my eyes again. "I'll stay out here with you, i'll stay on watch while you sleep-"

"No-"

"Ah, ah, ah" I say, shutting him up. "After a few hours, we can swap. That way, we both get sleep and both know the pack's being protected. So..deal?" I propose.

"Okay, fine" he nods. "But you sleep first"

"So you can 'forget' to wake me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "No, you're going first, come on Derek"

"Jesus christ, i've never met someone as stubborn as you" he sighs.

"Der, you've never met anyone like me" I correct with a grin.

"Well, that's true too" he smiles. "I'm not tired though"

"Dude, we had a deal literally 6 seconds ago" I say, throwing my hands up.

"Well not anymore" he grins. "So go on, get back to Tyler"

"He's with Scott and Allison, he's okay" I say, moving to sit down and lean againist the stump. Derek moves off the stump, leaning againist it beside me.

"So. Why aren't you sleeping?" Derek asks me.

"I slept on the way here" I remind him.

"But not a proper sleep"

"I sleep in my car all the time. It's fine, i'm used to it" I shrug.

"Stubborn" Derek mumbles.

"What was that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what you are" he smirks.

"Dick" I say fondly, fighting a smile. "So..why did you come? With us, here, I mean?" I ask, looking at him.

"What do you mean why? I wasn't gonna let you guys do this alone" he says like it's obvious.

"Thank you, you and your pack" I say with a small smile. He returns it, a silence washing over us. The only sound heard is the scatter of tiny insect feet through the leaves in the forest around us. I have a feeling he wants to ask about our last kiss, how I kissed him back then pushed him away. But he's not saying anything. He thought he was the reason I had that panic attack, I think he's scared he'll do it again. It wasn't him though, it's everything. It's like a crushing weight on my shoulders between the safety of this pack and the safety of our parents.

"Why are you stressing?" Derek asks, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm not"

"You're biting your lip" he says. I sigh, letting my lip go that I didn't even realise I was biting. He is starting to know me too well. "You think something's gonna go wrong, don't you?"

"I think people I love are gonna get hurt" I admit. "And i'm not okay with that, not at all"

"Like you said, we're looking out for each other. We're all gonna be fine" he assures me.

"I really hope you're right" I sigh.

"I am. I always am" he grins.

"Okay Derek" I say, rolling my eyes fondly. I yawn, quickly covering my mouth. I cringe when Derek turns to me with raised eyebrows.

"Go. I've got watch covered" he says.

"Nah, i'm good here" I say, meeting his gaze evenly. He smiles.

"We'll see who falls asleep" he says. I scoff playfully.

"Yeah, we will"

..

..

 **At least they're getting back to being friends, teasing each other. Favourite, follow and review!**


	22. Who Is That?

**Okay, i'm going to do my shout-outs differently all the time now, how I list them and answer them. It feels more personal and I think it's easier to read :) So..shout out to;**

 **Serena Sterling-I miss their teasing too! More to come back :3 Loving the words :)**

 **AlphaWolf19-I haven't caught the new episode yet but I will! I don't actually plan to follow the show anymore, i'm going to use my own plots and explore some different supernatural stuff and see how far my raw writing skill can take me if that makes sense :) And yes! I'll try to bring in more Nagual background for you ASAP but not too soon as some future chapters are already draftly written or planned but i'll get there! And i'm very keen to teach you all more about her old pack too!**

 **Tesla424-Sweet 'n' stressful, sounds like real life :P**

 **Bree-Thanks :) And in the next chapter which i'm currently working on now!**

 **Guest-It's fine, i'm just appreciative that you take the time out of your day to read and review so it's honestly fine :) I love that I decided to make her a werejaguar and not a werewolf, i'm glad I stuck with the idea! I shall keep going :D**

 **Thanks guys! Reviews will now be addressed like this, hope you like the change! Enjoy!**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

I have to fight my tiredness. I knew Ash was still tired. Of course she is, she's running herself into the ground with stress and worry. I want to comfort her, i've been trying too. I can't exactly hold her close and whisper sweet nothings into her ear, can I? There's boundaries and I have to be more careful than ever about breaking them. I will admit, i'm dying to talk to her about the kiss, about us. But i'm not going to push her even more than she's already pushing herself. I can't believe she had a panic attack. I didn't even know were-creatures could have panic attacks. I'm glad Stiles was there, I didn't even know what was happening. I look at the gir next to me with soft eyes. She fell asleep a little awhile after she said she wouldn't. I don't mind though. She's laying againist the tree stump we're sitting againist. She's frowning in her sleep and that makes me frown too. What's she dreaming about? I jolt a little when she's just suddenly awake, sitting up, taking a sharp breath.

"Ash?" I say to her. "Are you okay?"

"Did you hear that?" she asks me. What? She must have been on very, very high alert in her sleep to wake up like that.

"Hear what?" I ask her.

"Listen" she mouths, bringing her finger to her lips. And when I listen closely, I do hear it. It's quite a ways away. "Stay here, i'm going to check it out" she whispers. I grab her arm.

"No, you stay here. I'll go" I tell her.

"Derek, it's just over there" she defends.

"Stay put" I say firmly. She narrows her eyes at the alpha bleeding into my voice. "Please Ash" I add, softer. She sighs and nods. I get up and cautiously follow the sounds of shuffling. Could be a bird, maybe some other animal. My best guess is human but I hope not. This place is blocked off for a reason. Yes, it's a shortcut but it's also got dangerous roads which is why we're taking it slow. Things have been fine so far, and they'll keep being fine. They have to be. After a short few minutes, I find what was making the noise. And i'm right. There's someone here, they're just standing there. Doing nothing. I take a deep breath. They smell sick, but it's not a flu sickness or cancer, it's something else. There's blood, flesh. "Lady" I call out, eyes watching her every move. Her head perks up and she slowly turns to me.

"Help me" she says, holding her bleeding wrist. She has a Spanish accent.

"What happened?" I ask, slowly walking forward, eyes alert and listening. Her heartbeat's going crazy but she appears calm. I don't understand. Noone can pull off pretending to not be scared that well.

"I need help" she says, stepping forward. "Are you alone? Are you here with other people?" she asks frantically. "I need help finding my daughter" she says, her blonde hair sticking up crazily.

"Hey, that's far enough" I warn her as she's slowly getting closer to me.

"I need help. They did this to me. They made me like them" she says, moving her hand from her wrist to show the cut and blood smeared all over it. "Please help me find my daughter" she says, shivering.

"Who did this?" I ask her. She flips, shouting angerily and running at me. I get into an attack stance, catching the girl. She puts up a good fight, I mean especially for a human fighting a werewolf. I pin her to the ground though. She's snapping at me with her teeth but she's all human. "Stop" I growl as she tries to bite me. I'm suprised when she manages to flip us. I wince in pain when I feel something slash along my arm. I growl, flipping us back over. I bare my fangs at the woman, hoping to make her stop. I look at my wrist, finding it bleeding but starting to heal. This woman is crazy. She gets an arm loose, reaching for her knife again. I flick out my claws, swiping out at her neck first. I get off her, sitting down, catching my breath. I expect to feel the same feeling I got after killing Paige wash over me. But I don't. Was she not innocent? What the hell? What was all that? What was wrong with her? Who did that to her? And who's _them_? I quickly make my way back to where we're camped up. Everyone's waking up, the sun just beginning to rear it's head. Ash comes over to me right away.

"What happened? What was it?" she asks.

"We need to leave" I say, moving past her. She grabs my wrist.

"Who did this to you?" she asks angerily, looking at the slash across my wrist that's finishing healing. I pull my arm back, pulling my sleeve over it.

"I'll explain later, but we need to go right now" I stress.

"Derek? Who did that to you?" she asks, her concern clear on her face.

"Please Ash, right now. Get Tyler, i'll tell the others" I say. She gives me pleading eyes. "It's healing, i'm okay. Please, come on" I coax.

"Okay" she sighs.

"Go get your family ready to go" I say. She nods, moving to leave. She stops, turning back at me. "What's wrong?" I ask her as she frowns.

"Are you okay?" Ash asks me. I nod.

"I'm fine" I assure her. She turns away again. I watch with furrowed eyebrows as she goes over to where Tyler's playing with his muscle model car in the dirt. Is she really that worried about me? I don't want her to worry, that's the whole point. I look away, going over to Stiles and Lydia first.

"We're going in a couple minutes. Be ready, alright?" I say to them.

"You got it" Stiles nods. I go over to my pack next.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asks, probably smelling my worry.

"Doesn't matter right now. What matters is that we're leaving in a couple minutes so be ready" I say, looking bewteen the 3 betas.

"Are you riding with us?" Erica asks me. I shake my head.

"No, i'm gonna stay with Ash and..look out for Tyler" I say.

"I'm sure that's why you're going with her" i'm suprised to hear Boyd say. Erica smirks with him, Isaac frowning a little.

"Just be ready to leave" I say, feeling a blush crawl up my neck but refusing to let my betas see it. Boyd nods and I turn around, going back over to the mustang.

"You think they're together?" I hear Erica ask.

"If they're not yet, they're not far off" Boyd says quietly.

"I doubt Derek is really her type" Isaac says.

"He seemed perfectly her type when she stayed up with him last night" Erica shoots back. "What's your problem anyway?" she asks Isaac.

"Let's get ready" Isaac says, brushing off the question. What the hell are they talking about? How could they possibly know anything about me and Ash? It's not like i've told them anything, I highly doubt she has either. She's not exactly open and honest with everyone about her feelings. So they're going off what exactly? How we act together? Is that what they see and how they interpert it? Is that how we look together? Hmm. I stop listening to them, helping Allison put the bags back in the boot. Me and her..it's a strange relationship. She's here for Scott, Ashlee, Tyler, Lydia and Stiles, to help them and find her own father. But she's still polite to me. We're trying to get past the Kate and Peter thing and that's what matters.

"Hey..Derek?" i'm suprised when Allison speaks up. I stop, looking at the girl. She glances around nervously. "I never thanked you for helping protect that night with..that night" she says quietly, avoiding looking me in the eye.

"You don't have too" I say.

"No, I do. Weither you were actually helping me or just trying to get to Peter, i'm still alive because of you and them" she says. "So..thank you"

"You're uh..you're welcome" I say a little awkwardly. Allison gives me a small smile before closing the boot and going over to Scott. Scott kisses her and hugs her, making sure she's okay. I was wrong in what I said about Scott not being in love. I think he is. I was angry when I said those things, my mind stuck on Kate and the way she used me. I just didn't want Scott to go through the same thing. My eyes fall to Ash and Tyler. Ash has Tyler sat up on the hood. She's changing his shirt, and giving him something to snack on from his bag. I watch as she scruffs his hair and hugs him, telling him everything's okay and he'll see Mommy soon. I hate the way there's the faintest trace of tears in her eyes when she talks about her Mom though. Ash quickly blinks it away though, giving Tyler an assuring smile instead. Scott and Allison get in the back and the others start to get in their cars too. Good. I want to get them out of here, away from that woman and whoever did that to her. I walk over to Ash.

"Hi Derek" Tyler smiles at me. I return his smile.

"Morning little man. You feeling okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I wanted to go for a swim though. Ash says we have to leave" he pouts.

"I know. But not today, alright? We're going to another place" I tell him.

"Okay" Tyler nods, frowning a little.

"How about this? You can drive with me" Ash says. Her face lights back up when Tyler looks up at her with a smile. "There we go. Come on" she says. She helps him to jump off the hood and to the dirt again.

"Hey" I say. She stops, turning to me.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay to drive?" I ask her.

"Yeah" she nods. "I want you to sleep, i'll drive. You don't need to be on constant alert so sleep, okay? Please? At least relax"

"Okay" I nod, seeing she's becoming quite concerned about me.

"Thanks" she says, squeezing my hand. I squeeze it back, bringing it to my mouth and kissing it quickly. I let her hand go, both moving for each side of the car. She meets my eyes over the car for a second. She smiles a little before getting in. Scott doesn't say anything about it which i'm thankful for. I decide to get comfortable, sleep like Ash said. I'll explain what happened back there once we find somewhere else to stop. There's no need to stress everyone out now. I glance at the two in the back in the mirrors. Allison's leaning her head on Scott's shoulder, their hands intertwined. Scott sees me, giving me a small nod. I return it, looking out the windshield and at the dirt road in front of us. It's still cold, the morning sun barely up, slowly warming the air again. I close my eyes, trying my hardest to relax and let the much delayed sleep take me.

..

..

 **What the hell was wrong with that woman? How will the pack react to it? Get ready for the return of an attractive old face very soon ;) Favourite, follow and review!**


	23. Let's Talk

**Credit to the original artists for the music! Shout out to;**

 **Serena Sterling-Those words again 3 I'd really rather not have Erica kiss Derek since I want her and Ash to be good friends :) I'm thinking Isaac's got a little crush on Ash but I don't know if i'll take it any further than that. Should I?**

 **Ihong-Lydia's with them now, she's traveling with Stiles and Allison in the Jeep at the moment. Malia and Kira most probably won't be appearing, just the main pack :) She was a stranger and she was human..but not ;)**

 **AlphaWolf19-The lady was just a lady but there is a twist ;) Yay for more storyline of Ashlee's past! Thanks, i'm glad you like my spins :)**

 **Xhen1-Wow! Thank you :) I hope I can keep you as a regular reader and reviewer :)**

 **vtennis2010-Thanks! I update every day at the same about 90% of the time so stay tuned :D I love the family Derek/Tyler relationship too ! Derek's like a father figure almost since Ash is always looking after him, being a second Mom :3 Don't sweat it, I might be a bit obsessed with writing the story :P I hope I can keep you as a regular reader and reviewer as well :)**

 **Bree-You'll see when he tells them what happened ;)**

 **Tesla424-Thank you so much! I love love loveeeee that you like it :P**

 **I'm about to soothe your Dashlee loving hearts :3**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I smile when I look next to me and Derek's asleep. Finally. I drive down the trail, Tyler sitting on my lap with his little hands on the steering wheel too. His eyes are wide as he looks around at all the trees, the bright greens and yellows blurring together.

"Can we listen to some music?" Tyler asks, leaning againist my chest and looking up at me.

"Okay, but it has to be quiet 'cause Derek's sleeping, alright?" I say. He nods. "I need you to hold the steering wheel steady" I say. He nods excitedly, holding it properly. I keep my knees up so i'm really holding it steady but he looks so happy and proud of himself so I leave him to it. I slow down too. I turn my stereo over to my mix CD, letting a random track play. I make sure it's turned down as Derek's only had a few hours, he needs more even if he won't admit it. I smile at the song that comes on, grabbing the steering wheel again. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel to the song.

"Ashy, will you sing?" Tyler asks. I used to sing to him when Mum would put him down to sleep. I'm amazed at what he remembers about me. I was so scared he wouldn't remember who I was. I don't know how I would have taken that. I feel bad enough about leaving, if my little brother had forgotten me..I would never forgive myself. I'm still working on forgiving myself now for leaving in the first place.

"No, not now Ty" I say. The car's full and I don't want to sing in front of them.

"Please?" he says, giving me those wide, ocean blue puppy dog eyes that I can't say no too. I growl playfully under my breath, kissing his head.

"Fine" I smile, taking a breath.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since I can say I love myself as well_

In my mirrors, I see Allison sit up, looking at me in suprise. Scott smiles softly.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _Since i've gone and..things up just like I always do_

I try not to say the f-word in front of Tyler. I don't want him running around saying it. Mom would kick my ass.

 _And it's been awhile_

 _But all that shit seems to disappear when i'm with you_

 _And everything I can't remember-_

I cut myself off with a giggle as Tyler starts to drum his hands on the steering wheel.

"I had no idea you could sing" Allison says. I chuckle in embarassment. "You're really good" she smiles.

"Scott's better" I tell her, grinning widely when Scott instantly turns red. "From his reaction, he hasn't told you?" I guess.

"No" she says. "You sing?" Allison asks him.

"Dammit Ash" Scott pouts. I chuckle, reaching over to find a certain track. When the familiar picking and struming rolls through the speakers, I grin. Ty's head perks up, this was a song Scott and I both would sing all the time. "No Ash" Scott pleads.

"Yes!" Allison smiles. "Please Scott?" it's her turn to give him puppy dog eyes. Scott groans but nods.

"You remember how we do it?" I ask him.

"Yes" he mumbles. "I'm gonna get you back for this" he promises me.

"I'm counting on that" I smile.

"Lead us in" Scott says. Allison kisses his cheek and I smile wider. I'm happy to see smiles in this hard, stressful time. It feels good to smile myself.

 _I remember when_

I start.

 _When I first met you_

 _I knew just what to do_

 _I had to get to know_

 _To get to know you right_

 _Through the darkness you're my light_

Derek stirs awake to our singing once Scott joins. He's heard me sing but I highly doubt he's ever heard Scott, or even had an idea that Scott could sing.

 _You're always on my mind_

 _I've been waiting so long_

 _For you I wrote this song_

 _Girl you don't what you've got_

 _Until you're world is gone_

 _This is why our love is strong_

I stop, letting Scott do the next verse, sing his heart out for Allison. Derek gives me a proper smile.

"I told you you should sing more" he says smugly. I chuckle, nudging him.

"I like her singing, it's nice. Right Derek?" Ty asks him. I swear, he's like a little wingman.

"Yeah Ty, it's beautiful" Derek smiles. "Just like she is" I try to hide my blush and smile but I can't. No way those words just came out of the wolf's mouth. I jump back in and sing with Scott.

 _I am not afraid_

 _Afraid to say the words_

 _Even if my brothers heard_

I smile down at Tyler, sharing a smile with Scott too.

 _Because of what you mean_

 _And what you mean to me_

 _You have given everything_

 _You have changed my life_

 _More than you'll ever know_

 _This is why I have to show girl_

 _That you were everything_

 _And everything to me_

 _Baby girl I hope you see_

 _Girl you've got me singing with some melody_

 _You're always on my mind_

 _This is what you do to me_

 _Girl you've got me singing with some harmony_

 _Forever you're my queen and baby girl i'm your king, yeah_

 _You're always on my mind_

 _Well don't you know that you're always_

 _You're always on my mind girl_

I let Scott sing us out. Allison's practically gushing love hearts from her eyes. Jesus. Well..good for Scott.

"There you go you little munchkin" I say to Tyler, play biting his neck, snorting into it. His laughter fills the car as he squirms. It's a welcome sound. I thought i'd forgotten what that sounds like. "I hope we didn't wake you" I say, looking at Derek.

"No, it's okay. I got enough sleep" he assures me.

"3 hours is enough for 3 days?" I ask, eyebrow raised.

"Careful Ash, I might start thinking you're nice" he says with a soft grin. I chuckle.

"I'm not being nice, I just like it when you get your beauty sleep" I tease. A deliberate throat clear from the male in the backseat has us both shutting up. It's quiet for a good 15 minutes. I feel hope spark up in me when we come across, what appears to be, a deserted town. It's very small, only a few houses still standing but it's something.

"We should stop here, spend a night or two. We need food, hell, a shower" Derek says. I nod in agreement, being on the road for 3 days living off packs of crisps and museli bars isn't really cutting it anymore. We tried to stock up but we were so hooked on going after our parents that we didn't think it through, didn't think about how long it'd take. Gerard gave us 3 weeks for a reason. The roads are long. We're seemingly trapped is a 'supposedly' blocked off trail. We've been on it for the last 2 days. It goes through these wooded parts. I don't know exactly where we are but I know we're on the right track. I don't know how long it goes for, it'd say _awhile_ but as long as we're on the right track, I don't care. I pull up between two of the houses, signalling for the others to wedge up between the houses and out of sight too.

..

We're all in the lounge area. We've found candles so we have dim light as the sun's set by now. We've had food, the house provided some canned goods and they have a gas stove so I made us all something hot for dinner. Shower's were cold but I didn't mind. I had bodywash and water so i'm fine with it. I smell and feel far more cleaner than earlier. I will admit, this whole abandoned town thing gives me the creeps but Scott and Stiles did a walk of the area to make sure we were safe. And we're locked inside, all in the same room so if something or someone were to come, we'd be ready. It sort of feels like we're camping..well, if you take away the constant worry niggling in the back of your head.

"Okay, there's something I need to tell everyone" Derek says. "At the last place we stopped..I found something, in the woods" Derek tells us.

"What'd you find?" Lydia asks. Derek looks to me and then looks at Tyler. I nod, turning to the boy.

"Here Ty, take this" I say, going into my bag and grabbing my ipod. "Get into bed and listen to some music, alright?"

"Okay" he nods, taking it. Once he's done as asked, I nod to Derek to continue.

"A woman. She uh..she was sick. Not an illness though, it was something different. It was something I couldn't identify" he says.

"And you left her out there?" Stiles asks, confused.

"Not exactly. There was something wrong with her. She was asking for help, someone cut her wrist but she wouldn't tell me who. She attacked me, did the same to me" he says. I frown, that's where he got the cut from. "And she was strong. She got the jump on me for a little. No human could have done that" he tells us. We all stay silent, letting that information sink in.

"Where is she now?" I ask him.

"I tried to calm her, but she tried to kill me so.."

"You killed her first" Scott says. "Didn't you?" he asks.

"Yeah" he sighs. "But there's something else. None of you will understand but when you take the life of an innocent, it does something to you"

"Your eyes. They change" I say. Derek nods.

"That's why my real eyes are blue, not yellow like the rest of you" Derek admits.

"You killed an innocent" Scott says.

"I'm not gonna say anymore but..I had too. It was the only way to stop their suffering" Derek says distantly. Scott nods, dropping the subject. "But it's not just your eyes, you can feel it inside you. It's like a stone in your gut. And every time you do it, it's like adding another stone. When I killed that woman..I felt nothing" he says.

"So she was a murderer or something?" Stiles asks.

"I have no idea" Derek says. "Honestly? I don't even think she was human"

"How many of them were there?" Allison asks.

"Will they find us here?" Erica asks.

"Are we safe?" Isaac asks.

"Okay, okay, calm down" I say, getting their attention. "Let Derek finish"

"There was just the one" Derek says. "But I don't know if there's more, she mentioned a 'them' so there probably is. I don't know if they're here too"

"So what do we do?" Lydia asks. "We can't keep driving. We need time to rest, think of a plan for the rest of the way. We're running low on everything" she stresses.

"We'll have someone on watch during the night, just in case" I say.

"I'll do it" Derek volunteers again.

"I'm doing it with you" I say. He looks like he's going to object. "If something happens, if they do come here, you'll need someone to back you up" I say. He nods reluctantly. "Everyone, just stay calm. Get the rest you all need. If anything happens, we'll signal with a calling howl. Lydia's right, we need time. Maybe we only stay until tomorrow, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is making sure everyone's in good health. So sleep, eat if you need too, there's leftovers on the bench. Don't stress, if we have to leave early, we will. Let's hope it doesn't come to that" I say calmly.

"You heard her, get some rest" Derek backs me up. "We re-group in the morning" the pack file off to their parts of the room where we've made makeshift beds with blankets and pillows we could find between the few houses.

"You've got Ty?" I ask Scott.

"Yeah, I got him" Scott nods. "Be careful out there"

"I will" I say with a small smile. I check on each of them on protective instinct before following Derek outside. "We should probably walk the perimetre, right?"

"Yeah" Derek nods. We start walking, side by side. Derek keeps glancing at me.

"What?" I ask him.

"You should wear something warmer" he says. I look down at my outfit. My usual skinny jeans, combat boots and a white singlet. I shrug. "You're not as warm as we are" he says.

"I'm fine" I say. It's true. Werewolves are naturally warmer than humans, werejaguars aren't like that. I'm not a walking heater like Derek and Scott and the betas are.

"Want my jacket?" he asks me. I smile softly.

"No, i'm alright. Thank you though"

"Okay..here then" he says. I turn to look at him, finding the male's holding his hand out to me. I lock eyes with him, studying for a few seconds. He raises his eyebrows in the slightest. I take his hand and we start walking again. I can feel the warmth radiating from him.

"Jesus..you're really warm" I chuckle.

"Physical contact helps project it" he tells me. "Like when we used to cuddle in bed" he says. I look at him, meeting his gaze.

"Here I was thinking you just wanted to hold my hand" I tease.

"Oh no, that too" he smiles. "Definitely that too"

"You know, I remember what I promised you..that we'd talk" I say. He looks at me. "And we've got all night out here together so maybe..maybe we should talk now" I sigh.

"We don't have too" Derek says, mistaking my sigh.

"No, we do" I nod. "And it's not you..I just hate talking about my feelings" I cringe, shuffling awkardly.

"I couldn't tell" he says sarcastically. I smile a little.

"I don't really know what to tell you" I shrug. "As of about 2 weeks ago, I wanted to kill you" I say honestly.

"But now?" he asks.

"Now? Now, I just want to get past it, you know? I don't want to think about it but..but we could all die. We don't know what's waiting for us with Gerard. If that happened..if you died thinking I hated you..I couldn't live with that" I say honestly. "And i've had alot of time to think. You were there for me alot when noone else was, that doesn't just get thrown out the door because of what happened with Peter. And right now, you and your pack are risking your lives to help us. You could have said no, you could have walked away but you didn't. You're here now and that's what matters to me"

"I..I wanna make it up to you and Scott. And i'd like it if you both joined my pack but I know that's a conversation for another day" he says and I nod in agreement. "But I am here. And i'm going to protect you and your family, the others too. And I don't want to disappear after all this blows over either" he says. "I'm done running"

"Thank you" I say with a small smile, squeezing his hand a little. "I'm done running too" he returns my smile. "Are we done with the feelings?" I ask with a light chuckle.

"Almost. There's something I wanted to ask you as well" Derek says, stopping. I stop too, turning to him.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"Back there, with the pack..they look to you for direction as well as me" he says. "And my betas respect you, they see how you are with Scott and Tyler and they look up to you, Erica especially" Derek tells me.

"Seriously?" I ask.

"Yeah" he nods. "Being the alpha..it's new to me. I could really use someone like you to help make the decisions, you know?"

"What exactly are you asking me Derek?" I ask, not wanting to get the wrong idea.

"I'm asking if you'll help me lead them" he says, nodding back to the house. "And maybe..when we're home again, maybe you'll help lead my pack then too" he adds.

"I'll help you now" I assure him. "And i'd like to say yes to the other as well but, for now, let's just take things one at a time"

"That's okay" he smiles. "So that's a maybe?" he asks. I chuckle.

"Yeah, it's a maybe..to _that_ question" I say.

"What do you mean 'that question'?" he asks.

"Yes" I say. Derek looks at me, confused. "Yes, I feel the same way about you" I say, answering his question from a few days ago. "Of course I do"

"Are you sure?"

"You're questioning me now?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you can be..erratic"

"What? Pffft, no" I say.

"You just told me that 2 weeks ago you wanted to kill me" he reminds me. I smile sheepishly.

"Yeah, well I liked you long before that" I reveal.

"Good, 'cause so did I" he grins.

"Anymore questions?" I ask him.

"No" he shakes his head.

"Good..because I wanna try something" I say. Before he can ask what, I step up to him. "Don't say anything" I say quietly. He nods slowly, watching me. I lean in slowly, hesitant. Derek leans in a little too, locking eyes with me. I can feel his breath on my lips. I bring a hand up behind his neck, guiding him forward. He abides until he's barely a centimetre away from my lips with his. "So, uh..i'm pretty sure i'm going to kiss you so if you don't want this, now's the time to pull away" I whisper.

"No, no i'm good" he smiles. "Are you?"

"Yeah" I nod before closing the distance between us. Derek kisses me back in an instant. It only lasts a couple seconds though, a loud screaming cutting between us.

..

..

 **Feelings and fluff :3 These two are complicated. Favourite, follow and review!**


	24. Alpha, Now Beta

**Here comes that familiar face ;P WOW! Amazing response to last chapter and some really,** _ **really**_ **nice things were said :,) Thank you guys** _ **so**_ **,** _ **so**_ **much! Shout out to..**

 **vtennis2010-I'm glad me killing you is in a good way :P I know! I'm a sucker for teasing you guys! I'm cruel :D**

 **Serena Sterling-I like it when my readers get worked up, in a good way of course :) Of course, if something's going good then something has to come along and ruin it! And the words one again! Love it 3 Yes, i'm thinking that Isaac's crush just stays a crush, maybe something like in my original 'Guts Over Fear' happens but right now, i've got some any other ideas and plots that I don't have time for that!**

 **Ihong-I know :( Dashlee has it hard!**

 **DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-Hi! You're back :) It's fine, don't sweat it! I'm just glad you're back and enjoying what you're reading! And no, nothing can stay simple and happy, not my style :P I will have some chapters like that though..eventually! So good to have you back :)**

 **AlphaWolf19-'Dead-bleeding-lady-who-is-just-a-lady', perfect! Wow, I really got you guys with the screaming! As usual, i'm updating now so you don't have to wait too long! Don't be scared, Derek killed her :P That was quite morbid but I don't mind :)**

 **Bree x2-Ash and Isaac..yeah, probably not but the possiblity is always open! I was thinking it would be a little like the last fic where he wants her but she's happy with Derek but right now, i've got too many other things going on to have that included! And yes, they're working past their crap because they really like each other :3 I wasn't going to bring in the Paige thing but if the opportunity is too good to pass up then I shall :)**

 **Revenger Tigger-Firstly, is your name like Tigger from Winnie The Pooh? Because that is awesome! Sorry..anyway.. I know, it's like me and cliffhangers are dating and we're both meanies :P Please keep your sanity so you can continue reading, i've come to really like all my readers so they would suck if you went crazy :P Then again..all the best people are crazy ;)**

 **Tesla424-No! My secret is known! Don't tell anyone! You will find out this chapter though! You smartypants :) Yay! Stay tuned :)**

 **Xhex1-Thanks, i'm glad you like it! I'm really glad I had her Nagual now and not another wolf there's too many wolves! And yeah, Derek's broken and brooding or whatever but he's still a manly man :P You will see angsty sides of him from time to time just like he see with Ashlee but, as I said, he's still a manly man and an alpha :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

We didn't even have to signal the pack, they heard the screams. There's 4 of these..humanoid _things_. And Derek's right, they're far too strong to be human. And they reek, of dead flesh and blood. But don't get the wrong idea, this isn't some zombie apocalypse. These things are human and alive but on the inside they're not. There's something wrong with them. Derek and I break away from each other and fall into attack stances, ready to fight. A man comes running at me and I grab his shoulders, holding him back.

"Stop!" I yell, baring my fangs. Derek told us about these things. But they're still humans and even he was doubtful weither he should kill them or not. Then the man starts snapping his teeth at me, a glazed-over, hungry look in his eye. I let my eyes bleed green, shoving him away from me and into the forest floor. I turn to check on the pack. I panic, seeing Tyler run out of the house. "TYLER, GET INSIDE!" I yell. He looks so scared, he's crying. He looks at the house but runs away from it.

"Go Ash! We've got his handled!" Derek yells, running at the..whatever they are with pack. I rush over to Tyler and pick him up, holding him tight and hiding behind the closest infrastructure.

"Stiles! Lydia! Allison!" I yell out to our resident humans, beckoning them over. If these things can match a werewolf's strength, they can easily match a human's. Allison, Lydia and Stiles are strong, they're warriors but i'm not taking that risk with their lives. Stiles, Allison and Lydia run over, eyes wide. I can hear the pack's roars and some more deranged shouts. What the hell is going on out there? What is this? "You all stay here with Tyler, alright? I need to help them. Stay with him, don't let him out of your sight" I order. They nod, looking scared themselves. I get up but small hands quickly grab onto me.

"Ash, don't! Don't go!" Tyler begs.

"I have too, stay with Stiles okay?" I say. "I love you Ty" I quickly kiss his head and pull away from him. I go after the pack, finding them still fighting off the 'people'. One grabs Scott and I pounce on them, pinning them down. She flips us, punching me across the face. I roar, kicking her off of me. She sets her sights on me, yelling angerily and running forward. I growl, my fangs out and eyes glowing, ready to fight and kill this woman. Suddenly, she stops, claws bursting through her chest. My eyes widen in shock at who I see once the woman's dead body has fallen to the ground. I recover from the shock when I hear quick little footsteps.

"Ash! Scott!" Tyler yells out. Peter's eyes shoot past me, falling to Tyler. Scott's at Tyler's side in an instant, stopping him from getting closer. When Peter steps forward, I fall into an attack stance, roaring at him in warning for him to stay back.

"Peter!" Derek growls, stepping up beside me.

"I'm sorry, he just took off" Stiles says, the 3 humans revealing themselves. A deadly thick tension settles over us when the pack sees Peter.

"That's okay. Just take Tyler and head back inside" I tell him.

"Ash, you get back too" Scott says. I stand my ground, glaring at a somehow alive Peter Hale. "Ash! Take Tyler back with Stiles and the others, now" Scott orders. I give in, backing away and going to Ty. Scott nods gratefully. He walks over to Derek. I look to Derek and he nods too.

"Get him back. Get everything packed, we're leaving" Derek says. I nod, sighing.

"Come on Ty" I say, taking the young male's hand.

"What 'bout Scott and Derek?" he asks, looking at me with wide confused and fearful eyes.

"They're okay, come on" I coax. I don't want Tyler to stick around to see what Derek and Scott do to Peter, no matter what it is they decide to do. He's so young and he's already witnessed far too much void. He's in tears he's so scared. And we're on the run, trying to save our parents and escape whatever those 'human' things were back there. Tyler reluctantly lets me lead him away, glancing back at the two males. I get back inside, barely able to keep my jaguar back.

"Ash..what's going on?" Lydia asks. Allison, Lydia, Stiles, Isaac, Boyd and Erica look to me for answers. "Is that really Peter?"

"Yeah. Pack your things, we're leaving once Scott and Derek get back" I tell them, keeping Tyler close.

"What are Scott and Derek gonna do?" Isaac asks, all of them starting to pack as asked.

"Baby, I need you to pack up your pencils alright? And your snacks, get your bag and bring it back here" I say, crotching down to Tyler's level. He nods. He's only 4 but he's far smarter than he should be. I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse in this situation. It's good because it'll help him to survive but it also means he's slowly learning about all the crap in the dark. He already sort of understands that his brother and sister and our friends aren't exactly..human. And I don't want to have his innocence snatched away from him..I don't think I have a choice though. "Do that and come back to me"

"Okay" he says.

"Okay, go on now" I say. He runs over to where we slept. I start packing up the pack's things while trying to keep an eye on Ty too.

"Ashlee, where are they?" Isaac asks, grabbing my arm.

"They'll be here" I say, turning to look at him with glowing green eyes. I blink, making my eyes return to normal. "I..i'm sorry. Just get ready to leave, they'll explain when they can" I sigh. Isaac nods, going over to where Boyd and Erica are.

"I'm packed. I'm on guard" Allison says, more to me. She stands at the door, eyes scanning the forest line.

"Thank you" I say, giving her a thankful smile. Tyler comes back over, his small red jansport bag on his back. "Ready to go?" I ask him.

"Yeah" he nods. We all pile over to the cars, starting to pack them again. Tyler suddenly leaves my side. I make to go after him but look up to see he's running over to Scott. I growl, seeing Peter walking behind Derek. Scott picks Tyler up, moving him away from Peter, taking Allison's hand and moving her away from him too.

"What is he doing here?! How is he here?!" Stiles asks Derek angerily.

"Lower your voice, you'll attract-" Peter starts.

"You don't get to tell us what to do!" Lydia yells.

"Wait, he's right" Derek says. I step forward, baring my fangs at Peter angerily. Derek gets between us. "Ash, wait" Peter growls back. Derek spins to him, grabbing him by the throat, asserting his dominance over Peter with an angry growl. "Never do that again" he warns Peter, letting him go with a shove. Inside me, my jaguar looks at Derek with pride in that he just stood up for us. Peter grits his teeth angerily but gives a small nod in indication that he won't. "Just listen to what he has to say. There's a reason I didn't kill him" Derek tells us.

"Again" Peter adds. My jaw ticks but I keep my mouth shut. "Those things back there, they aren't human" Peter tells us.

"What are they?" Allison asks, eyes set hard. No, I don't think Allison's angry that Peter killed her Aunt, it was simple revenge on a disgusting human being. But I do think she doesn't trust him at all, like the rest of us, and is angry that he tried to kill her, me, Scott and Derek.

"They've been infected with a virus called Croatoan. It's a blood-borne virus. These things, they'll try to mix their blood into your's, that's how you get infected. They'll typically go for the wrists but be careful anyway. You're safe as long as their blood doesn't enter your wound" Peter tells us. I look over at Derek, eyebrows burrowed.

"No, she only got the chance to cut me. I promise" Derek assures me, realising my concern. I nod, silently thanking god.

"Infected? What do you mean infected? The werewolf gene kills off infection" Scott says.

"Not this infection" Peter says. "And once you're infected, you've got a couple hours before you turn"

"Before you turn? What does that mean?" Erica asks. "This is some kind of zombie plague?"

"Not exactly" Peter says.

"You wanna tell us what you know then?" I ask with a sigh. Peter meets my gaze evenly. "Peter..please" I force myself to add.

"Well it's no zombie apocalypse, I can tell you that much. But it does change you. Makes you murderous, as much as you try to fight it, all you'll wanna do is either turn people or kill them. And there's no going back once you're infected either, no cure" Peter tells us. That's why they smell so..dead. They have the instinct to kill and turn, that's it. "This area, it's the only area that's been infected, that's the bad news"

"And the good news?" Boyd asks.

"The good news is it won't spread anywhere else but the general area. It's controllable. But you're right in the middle of it" Peter says. We let that sink in.

"How do you know all this?" I ask him. He looks over at Derek, Derek looking at him. "If you're hiding something-"

"Hold on sweetheart" Peter says calmly. I glare at him. "I just need to know noone's going to kill me the second I tell you all everything. You in particular" Peter says, directing the last part at Derek.

"I'm not promising you anything" Derek says.

"Then i'm not telling you anything" Peter shrugs. I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose and walking away. I'm mad and I want to hurt Peter but I won't stoop to his level. And he's still Derek's blood and I care more about Derek than I do about getting petty revenge on Peter. I go and sit down in the dirt againist a tree stump a few metres away from them all. I'm trying to keep my temper in check. It's been rough and stressful for all of us, having Peter magically reappear with news of a zombie-like virus..that doesn't help _at all_.

"No, Peter, don't" Derek warns the man. I feel the glow in my eyes come back when the very man crotches down in front of me. The pack step forward, watching us both closely.

"It's okay, it's okay" Peter tells them calmly. He looks back at me.

"Are you suicidal?" I ask him.

"I've died and come back before, I don't see why I couldn't do it again" Peter shrugs. He's not joking though, he's trying to keep me calm. "Give us a minute" Peter says, looking at the others.

"No" Scott says firmly. Derek shakes his head too. I sigh.

"Finish getting ready, we leave in 5 minutes" I tell them.

"Ashlee?" Erica says.

"Don't make me repeat myself, come on" I say softly. "We're okay, just get ready to go. We need to find somewhere else to hole up" I say, convincing them. One by one they peel off, grabbing what's left to pack. Scott hands Tyler over to Derek who's glaring at Peter. I feel my heart break as Tyler hugs into Derek's neck tightly, still upset and still scared. Scott walks forward, standing over us.

"You touch my sister and I promise you that'll be the last thing you _ever_ do. No coming back, no nothing" Scott warns him. He nods to me and I nod back. Scott walks back over to Derek. Derek sends Peter a warning look before following the male, trying to calm Tyler.

"It's good to see Derek and Scott are still as protective as ever towards you" Peter says, turning to look at me again.

"You got 2 minutes Peter. Say what you need too" I say simply.

"Alright, that's all I need" he nods. "Having the shaky relationship with Derek that I do, I figured i'd talk to the next in charge. You" Peter says.

"What about Scott?" I ask.

"No, no. The way I see it, he's a good leader, sure. But Derek looks to you next for the decisions, just like they all did a second ago" Peter says. I nod slowly..he is kind of right. Derek did say something along those lines too. "There's something you should know. The one behind all this..it's Gerard. He's infected those people and brought them here because he knew the only way you could reach him was to come through here"

"Why am I not suprised?" I sigh. "So you know he's got our parents then?"

"Yes. How do you think I came back?"

"That was going to be my next question" I say.

"Gerard thought he could use me, to get back at Derek, at you, the pack, after you all took me down after Kate" Peter tells me. That makes sense..well, for psychos like Gerard and Peter it's understandable.

"So you just decided againist it?" I ask, eyes narrowing.

"I killed my neice. You really think i'd want to kill my nephew too?"

"I don't know what you'd do"

"Well I can assure you, i'd _never_ work for Gerard. I would never help his family" he tells me firmly, his heartbeat staying steady. I nod.

"Well Allison's his family, and she's with us"

"Exactly. She's not with them. I don't have a problem with her"

"You tried to kill her-" I start.

"She didn't burn my family alive, and she didn't kill innocent wolves" Peter says. "All this, it's all a trap. Gerard wants to corner you all, either have you torn apart by those freaks or be turned and tear the pack apart yourselves"

"Gerard said we had to come to him, he'd give us our parents back, alive" I tell him.

"Why would Gerard take them and then just offer to give them back?" Peter asks me.

"I was too worried about losing them to call and ask" I sneer.

"Well now you've put yourself, your brothers, and the pack in danger" Peter says.

"So what? We turn around and go home? I let Gerard hold them captive?"

"No. You are right. The only way you're going to get them back is to go get them. But, he's counting on none of you making it out of here, that's why he made this place the way it is. So you couldn't make it out the other side. Not entirely yourselves anyway, either turned or dead" Peter says. "This wooded gland goes for days. This place was blocked off a few years ago..by hunters. Supernatural creatures were taking refugee here once the hunters decided to go after them. Gerard is taking his revenge for Kate. He's expecting every one of you to die in here. He's counting on it. And if some of you do manage to make it out and reach him, it won't be a joyride there either" Peter says. I take a deep breath, standing up.

"Well that's not happening" I tell him strongly. "We're gonna make it out, all of us. Alive. Healthy. And we're gonna get our parents back. Are you with us or did you just come to deliever the news?" I ask him.

"I'm here for Derek" Peter says.

"Well he's here for us"

"Then so am I" Peter says.

"If you're with us, you help us fight, you help protect the others. I appreciate you came all this way to let us know what's really happening, I do, I really do. But that doesn't change the past" I say.

"I know that" Peter nods. "And i'll make it up to you, all of you"

"Okay. But just so you know, you lay a hand on anyone here, you put us in danger, you so much as step out of line and I will put you down once and for all" I tell him. "And that includes Allison. I trust you want Gerard as dead as we do but I don't trust you around her so keep your distance"

"Anything else?" he asks.

"Yeah" I nod. "You back off of Derek too. He's stepped up alot and he leads his own pack now. You won't assert yourself over him again. And if I even see you _near_ my baby brother, I will kill you" I warn him.

"Scott?"

"Tyler. Scott can protect himself but you watch yourself around him too" I say.

"Okay, I understand. Keep my distance from the little one and don't step out of line. Have I got that all right?"

"Don't pull that sarcastic crap with me Peter, you're on the thinnest ice right now" I tell him. "If you really do want to make it up to us, to help us then help us. You turn on us, i'll rip your throat out myself. Don't doubt for a second that I won't do it" I warn him.

"I understand" he nods.

"Do you?" I ask him, looking him dead in the eye. "Because this is my family, all of them are my family now. And I won't let them get hurt"

"I do. I wasn't always the way I am. I had a family too once" Peter says.

"I know. And i'm sorry" I say honestly. "But the threat still stands" I remind him. Peter nods. "Now, help someone with their bags and keep an eye out" I say. He nods and we both start walking back to the group. Derek walks up to me, arms crossed over his chest like he's frustrated, or maybe he's agitated.

"You okay?" Derek asks, eyes falling to his Uncle. His hand comes to my arm, squeezing it in comfort. He doesn't realise it but he can be a sweetheart.

"Everything's fine" I assure him. "He's here to help. If not, he knows the consequences" I say.

"Good. But that's not what I asked, I asked if _you_ were okay"

"I'm..i'm doing okay" I say. "I just really need us to find somewhere more secure, somewhere Tyler can sleep through the night" I say sadly, looking over to where the young child's now fallen asleep in Stiles' arms. "He's so young and.." I trail off, feeling a lump forming in my throat.

"Hey, we'll keep him safe" Derek assures me, pulling me into a hug. I nod againist his neck, hiding my tears againist him. Warm hands come to my back and that feeling of safety that he gives me washes through me.

"I never wanted him to get caught up in this too..Mom and Tyler, I..I didn't want this"

"I know, and i'm sorry" Derek says. "But I promise you, they'll be okay. I promise you" he says, kissing my head. I pull back, nodding and quickly wiping my eyes.

"Yeah. We should get going, we need to find somewhere safe as soon as we can" I say.

"Okay" Derek nods. "Hey" he says. I look up at him. "We're gonna be okay" he says. I nod, smiling a little. He takes my face into his hands and kisses me. I find myself smiling more now. He pulls back. "See? We're okay" he says with a smile of his own.

"Okay" I smile, feeling better after talking to him. He turns to the pack.

"Let's move. Boyd, can Peter ride with you?" he asks the beta. Boyd shares a look with Erica and Isaac before nodding. "Okay, let's go" he says, everyone going for their cars. He takes my hand, both walking towards my car.

..

..

 **Now you know what the heck's going on! And they're still trudging on! Peter's getting the chance to redem himself..but will he? Favourite, follow and reivew!**


	25. Ambush

**Thanks guys! Love the support :) Shout out to;**

 **Serena Sterling-Words 3 I don't think I can make Peter bad again, he's too awesome!**

 **AlphaWolf19-I'm glad you're still suprised! There's more suprises coming ;) Thanks, here's another update!**

 **Bree-I love Peter and his sarcastic-ness :)**

 **Tesla424-Yay! I knew you had it right! I could tell :) Ash and Derek, duel alphas, love it! I hope to keep you addicted :P**

 **SPN4L1F3-Yay for Peter! I love him as well!**

 **Revenger Tigger- I knew you meet Winne The Pooh! YES! And I totally have a love-hate feeling towards Peter, Ian's amazing at playing him too :) Update's here now!**

 **Stiles' p.o.v**

We've finally found another place to stay the night. Everyone's exhausted and we _all_ need sleep. Lydia and I have been sticking pretty close during this journey, and I don't mind one bit. Allison and Lydia are in the run-down bathroom, getting dressed for bed when Scott comes up to me.

"You and Lydia doing okay?" Scott asks, eyes scanning the room to where everyone's getting ready and settling in for bed.

"Yeah" I nod. "How about you and Allison?" I ask.

"We're holding strong" he tells me, making me smile softly. That's how Scott is. He's strong. Actually, all the McCalls are that way.

"What about Ash and Tyler?" I ask. "Where are they?" I ask, looking around for them. My eyes fall to Ash. Scott sees me stop and follows my gaze. He sighs a little. Derek's laying down with Ash, the girl resting her head on his chest sleepily. "I don't know if i'm okay with that man" I say quietly, looking at them.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know if i'm okay with it either" Scott says just as quiet. Derek covers Ash with most of the blanket, making sure she's warm. I feel the protective surrogant brother in me back down a little at the man's kind actions. "But she's old enough to make her own decisions. And nothing you or me say to going to sway her" he says. "She needs to find out if Derek's the man she's looking for or wahtever, on her own" I nod, knowing it's true.

"Well has she talked to you about him yet?" I ask Scott.

"A little while back, yeah. She said they might have deeper feelings for each other than just friends. Turns out she was very right" Scott says when Derek kisses her head and she cuddles closer to the male. "But you know her, she doesn't exactly like other people poking their noses in her business" he says knowingly. I nod, knowing that's true as well. She's quite a private person, especially when it comes to her feelings.

"Okay, i'm getting less and less okay with it" I say, a little grossed out to see Ash so cuddley with someone. She's not a cuddley person, she never has been. But right now, she is, with Derek Hale. I mean, really? Of _all_ people? She could do worse, I guess. It's not that he's a bad guy or would make a terrible boyfriend, but..he's..he's _Derek_. He's grotchy, brooding, hard-ass Derek.

"Hold on. Look" Scott says. We both watch as Tyler, in Derek's leather jacket which is far too big for him, crawls between the two, laying down. Ash smiles and strokes his hair softly as Tyler shuts his eyes, warm between the two. Derek moves, bringing protective arms around Ash and Tyler. I look at Scott with a raised eyebrow. Scott's lips upturn in the slightest. "Let's get back to our own beds" he says. I nod, a little suprised he's okay with _all that_.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

When I wake up, I smile. Tyler's sleeping soundly. Derek's still asleep too. He kept the both of us close last night, being protective of us. I lean forward and kiss his cheek softly. Derek's eyes flutter open sleepily. He smiles, seeing it's me.

"Sleep good?" he asks me.

"Yeah" I smile back. "Did you?"

"Alot better than I have been" he says, brushing my hair out of my face. I can't help the small giddy giggle that leaves my lips. I look down shyly. "Was that what I think it was?" he asks with a grin.

"Shut up" I pout. I look back up at him, finding him smiling softly. "You're a smug bastard, you know that?" I ask with a small smile of my own.

"That thought has crossed my mind" he says with a grin. I chuckle, pulling myself to sit up. That action wakes Tyler.

"Ash?" he asks sleepily.

"Morning Ty" I smile down at the boy, helping him sit up in my lap. "Are you hungry?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"Thirsty" he says.

"Come on, let's get you something to drink then" I say. He nods and gets up. He spots Scott and gives him a wide smile. Scott smiles back, the pack starting to rouse now. Scott meets my eyes, giving me a look but still smiling. I return his smile. I'm suprised, and glad, he didn't make a big hoopla about my sleeping arrangement last night. "You hungry?" I ask, turning to Derek.

"No, i'm okay. Just get Tyler something, i'll start packing" Derek says.

"Okay" I nod.

..

"Hey" I turn away from where i'm poking Ty's straw into his juice box to see Erica standing beside me.

"Hi" I say, giving her a small smile. I finally get Tyler's straw in. "Here you go little man. Hey, why don't you go see what Derek's doing?" I say, helping him off the hood and to the ground.

"Thanks Ashy" Tyler smiles, running over to where Derek's checking in on Stiles. I smile warmly when Tyler jumps up and Derek catches him. Tyler laughs, drinking from his juice box. Yeah, it's confirmed. Tyler really likes Derek and Derek really likes him. I turn back to Erica. "What's up?" I ask her, leaning againist my car.

"Nothing. I just felt like we haven't met properly. Seeing how you and Derek are, it's only-"

"What do you mean?" I ask her. "We're not doing anything" I say quickly.

"No, but we're not blind. Everyone can see how close you two are getting. From what Stiles has told us, it's been going on for a little while now" she says. "He's our alpha so i'd like to get to know his girlfriend..oh, sorry..whatever you guys are" she corrects herself sheepishly.

"Stiles and his friggin' big mouth" I frown. "Well..hey, i'm Ash" I say with a smile. "I'm Derek's..something" I supply.

"Erica" she supplies with a chuckle. "Is that your brother?" she asks, looking over at Tyler. He's sitting in the jeep now with Stiles as Derek checks in with his other betas and Peter.

"Yeah. That's Tyler, he's 4" I tell her.

"Derek really likes him, I can tell" Erica says, making me smile.

"Like you said, it's been going on for a little while. Tyler's come to know and trust Derek" I say.

"Do you trust Derek?" she asks. I turn to look at her.

"He did something not that long ago that made me doubt his trust but he's making it up to me so..yeah. I trust him" I answer honestly. "Do you trust him?" I ask her.

"He's my alpha, yes" she nods. I smile, it's good the betas feel that way. "I uh..I trust you as well" she says, suprising me.

"You barely know me" I point out.

"I know enough" she says with a small smile. "I know there's nothing you won't do to protect your family, that's why you're leading this crusade to go after your parents" she says. "Derek's the alpha but your leading us to them, it's obvious he looks at you for help as well. You two make a good team, you're good leaders" Erica says.

"Thanks" I say. She nods.

"Erica, we're leaving" Isaac says, walking up to us. Everyone's getting back into their cars.

"Okay" she says to Isaac. "It was nice talking to you" she says to me.

"You too Erica" I smile. The girl goes and gets back into the car with Boyd and Peter. I give Isaac a small awkward smile when he stands with me.

"Uh..I saw how freaked out you got the other day" he says. I cringe in embarassment. "Are you okay?" he asks me. I nod.

"Yeah. It was just a little anxiety" I tell him.

"I understand that" he nods.

"You had anxiety before you got the bite?" I ask him.

"Yeah..a little worse than anxiety though. Full-blown hypervigilance" he chuckles awkwardly.

"I kind of feel like that right now" I admit. "With everything going on" he nods in agreement.

"Well..if you ever need to talk about it, you know where to find me" he offers. I give him a small smile.

"I'm not one to share my feelings and all..but thanks" I say. He returns my small smile. I know i'm too closed off to my feelings, I know this. I know if i'm going to open up to anyone, it should be Scott or Derek, right? Right. I turn around when I hear cars behind us. I turn around and Scott's nodding to the driver's seat. He gets out and gets into the back with Allison and Tyler. I turn back to Isaac. "We should go"

"Yeah" he nods. "It was nice to finally talk to you" he says. I smile and walk over to my car, getting into the drive's seat while Isaac goes for the camaro. I get it, glancing into the back seat to check on the 3. I turn back to the road, pulling out. Without realising, I start biting my lip and filing through my head. What are we supposed to do? All that stuff Peter said..but our parents, we have to find them. I just hope we all get out of here in one piece. I'm going to try my hardest to make that true but..I have to admit, Gerard is starting to scare me. He's obviously put alot of thought and planning into all this. And I don't think what's happening now is the last of his plans either. That makes him dangerous. This place is dangerous too.

"You okay?" Derek asks me. I look at him and back to the path quickly. I nod.

"Yeah..um.." I say. "I.."

"You what?" he asks.

"I feel..a little anxiety" I admit.

"Did you just share your feelings?" Scott asks from the back seat, suprised and maybe even a little amused.

"Yes" I ground out.

"Do you want me to drive?" Derek asks.

"No, i'm okay" I shake my head.

"Ash" he presses.

"Argh. This is why I don't talk about my feelings. Forget it, i'm fine" I say.

"Wait, come on Ash-" Scott starts.

"Forget it" I cut him off. Allison chuckles and I can't help but chuckle too. "You try to be human for 5 seconds"

"Well I am human, but I get it" Allison says.

"Thanks" I say, giving her a smile. I can feel both males looking at me. "I'm fine, seriously. I'm worried, I think i'm allowed to be given the circumstances, right?"

"Yeah" Scott says. "But if it gets worse..you'll say something, right?" I nod, choosing not to answer with words because knowing me, I won't. And I think deep down they both know that. Derek doesn't say anything, just slips his hand into mine, holding onto it. I squeeze his hand a little, keeping my eyes on the road as he keeps his out the window. We both smile to ourselves and noone comments on the action.

"I want to go to an island" I say after a few long moments of silence.

"An island?" Derek asks, looking at me. I nod, turning to look at him.

"I wanna go to an island and sunbathe and swim all day and put all this crap behind me, for like a week" I say. Derek smiles softly.

"When we make it out of this, we'll go to an island" he says. I smile widely.

"You'll come with me?" I ask. He nods. I look back out the windshield, smiling. And then there's more hope. We're going to find our parents and i'm going to an island. Weither it's a pipe dream or not, it's nice to have something more to hope for.

..

I skid to a stop when a man comes stumbling out in front of the car.

"Help me" the man groans. I share a look with Derek.

"Stay in the car" I say to Scott in the backseat. Derek and I get out. Derek gestures to the others to stay in their cars too. "Who are you?" I call out to the man.

"Please help me, they-they're coming" he says, tears in his eyes. Derek steps in front of me.

"Have you been infected?" Derek asks the man.

"No" he shakes his head. I listen to his heartbeat, steady. "They tried but I got away. Listen, I need help. I need a way out" he stresses, coming closer to us.

"Hey, stop" Derek warns him, holding his hand out. "That's far enough"

"Please help me. Please" he begs.

"Derek..maybe we should help him" I say. Derek looks at the man, studying him.

"What's your name? Where are you from? How did you get here?" Derek asks him. He slowly walks towards us. Derek eyes him wearily.

"My name is Brandon Samuels. I have a wife and 3 kids" he says, slowly getting closer. "I work in a telemarketing office. I don't know how I got here. I was at work, then I woke up here" he says, stopping about a metre away from us. "Please, you have to believe me"

"You go that way, keep going until you make it out" Derek tells him, pointing back the way we came.

"What? By myself?" the man asks.

"We don't know you. You're not riding with us" I say.

"I'm all alone out here. What if they attack me?" he asks us.

"You've got hours of daylight. I suggest you get going, _now_ " Derek says. The man looks between us desperately.

"Please, make this easy" he begs.

"No" Dereks says. A smile breaks out across his face and he laughs to himself.

"What's so funny?" I ask the man, eyeing him closely.

"What's about to happen" he smirks. Before either of us can react, the air rings with screams. They pile from the woods.

"Ash! GO!" Derek yells, falling into an attack stance. Derek's going to fight. He can't fight that many off himself, there's no way.

"GO! Take Tyler and go!" I yell to Scott who's about to get out of the car. I feel something grab my arm. I kick out at the ravage woman grabbing me. I see them swarming the cars, trying to get inside. "GO!"

"ASH!" Scott yells.

"GO! SCOTT, GO!" I yell back, clawing our her throat. "Derek?!" I yell, running in the direction of a swarm of the Croatoan-infected people. I can hear Derek's wolf fighting, growling. Before I can intervene, both my arms are grabbed and i'm held down. I struggle in the two's grip.

"Let her go!" Derek roars, 4 of them grabbing him.

"Ashy!" I can hear Tyler.

"GO!" I roar, seeing more of them coming out of the woods and for the cars. "Please! Just go!" I beg Scott and the other two cars.

"GO! NOW!" Derek orders in his alpha voice.

"Allison, please!" I beg the girl, seeing she's gotten into the driver's seat. She's got tears down her face. "You go!" she breaks down, putting the car into gear.

"No, no, Allison, don't!" I hear Scott beg as the mustang's engine roars and takes off in the other direction. I hear Tyler crying. I hear the jeep follow, the camaro following too. There's nothing they could do. They have to get out, they have to find our parents. If they stayed..they'd die too. That's not an option.

"Ash!" Derek yells, struggling againist the ones holding him. It's strange though, they're not attacking us, just holding us down. Derek's body tenses up before he falls to the ground, unconcious.

"DEREK?!" I try to rip away from the ones holding me. The man from before walks to stand in front of me. He smiles, looking at me.

"Derek's fine" he tells me, just looking at me with that creepy smile. Another man, an older man, walks out from the woods. None of those things go after either of them though. Who the hell are these people?

"Help us!" I beg the man. He laughs. My face falls, that sounds oddly familiar.

"Let me introduce myself" he says, the voice matching the familiar tone. "My name is Gerard. And you shouldn't have come this far into the woods, pussy cat" he grins evily. Before I can make any kind of threat, my body courses with electricity and I pass out too.

..

..

 **Oh god! Here's GERARD! Little note-the pack didn't ditch them either. They did what their alpha male and sort of alpha female demanded so please, nobody hate on them for leaving, they had too. Favourite, follow and review!**


	26. Skin

**Used a scene from 'The Walking Dead', all credit to them for it! It's the one with Maggie and the Governer. I just feel like Gerard had the potential to be so much eviler. I know he did all the things he did for revenge on Kate but if you think about it, if your daughter had her throat teared out by werewolves, you'd be a little more angry than Gerard was. That's just what I believe. Trigger warning for sexual harrassment? I don't know what exactly to call it, it's not** _ **that**_ **though. But just giving you a heads up, Gerard's pretty twisted. Shout out to;**

 **Serena Sterling-Sorry about the cliffhanger, i'm terrible! I might have some more Stiles' p.o.v now and then :) And the pak? You'll see..**

 **Revenger Tigger-I hate Gerard too! He's evil! Thanks, here's so more Tigger!**

 **Tesla424-I know :( Those twists!**

 **AlphaWolf19-Did he? I was thinking of just having him be a normal guy but no..the writer inside of me refused. Yes, I saw it, Ian's so funny! Once again, the pack, you'll see..**

 **Bree-Exactly, i'm glad you understood that :)**

 **DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-I know my twists and cliffhangers can be cruel :( Thanks!**

 **I'm super happy you still like my plotline i'm taking :) Enjoy this chapter guys!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Now" Gerard says, stepping out from the shadows. I'm in a dim room, sitting in a chair. Only other thing in here is a table, which my hands rest on. I glare up at Gerard. "Don't bother trying to shift, the room is lined with wolfsbane, you couldn't if you tried" he says. I try to enlongate my fangs but he's right, I can't. "And in case you're still stupid enough to try something.." Gerard says. He slams an electrical baton onto the table, meeting my eyes evenly.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" I ask him.

"No, that's insurance" he says. He walks around the table, dragging his fingers along the top of it. I grit my teeth when his fingers come up and brush my hair behind my ear. Yes, I could try and kill Gerard but chances are, he's hiding some more weapons. And even if I got through him, there's 2 armed guards outside the door with guns. And, I don't have my usual werejaguar juice. I'm reckless but i'm not suicidal.

"We came. Now give us our parents" I demand.

"I haven't gotten what I want yet though" he says.

"What do you want?" I ask, moving my head so his hand's not touching it anymore. He smiles a little, letting his hand drop.

"I want to know where your pack ran off too" he says. "It was awful brave sending them off like that, sacrificing yourself for them" he says. "But also very stupid" I turn and glare daggers at the man. "You tell me, and we let you go, unharmed" Gerard offers.

"Go to hell" I say. I'm not exactly sure where they are, and even if I was dead certain, I wouldn't give them up. There's absolutely nothing that could make me give them up. I'd rather die, right here and now, then tell this evil, malicious bastard where they are.

"My men will find them eventually. I just want you to make it easier for us and we'll let you live. We'll even let Derek go" Gerard says. I look up at him, eyebrows furrowed. "Oh right, you don't have your senses. Well we've got Derek in the other room, wolfsbaned and rendered useless just like you are" he tells me.

"You let him go" I ground out angerily, getting up. In a split second, Gerard has a gun trained on me. He's not stupid. I'm certain there's wolfsbane bullets in it. He motions to the chair with the gun. I let out a shaky breath, forcing myself to sit back down.

"When I have the pack's location" Gerard says, bringing the gun to his side.

"If you even _think_ i'd tell you that, then you are as stupid as you look" I say.

"Without betas, Derek's a lone wolf. I won't need to kill him on the spot, he'll get himself killed. And you? You're just a bargining chip, I have no trouble with you" Gerard says.

"You might as well kill me because i'm not telling you anything" I say, glaring at the wall, looking away from Gerard.

"Maybe I need to try this differently" Gerard says. Before I can say anything, he fists my hair in his hand, pulling my head back so my neck's bared. If I could, i'd be snarling right now. I don't bare my neck for other wolves let alone him. A feel the cool silver of a blade againist my throat. "Where's the rest of the pack?" he asks me.

"I'm not telling you anything" I say. I wince in pain when the blade's pulled across my throat lightly, cutting into the skin enough to draw some blood. Gerard lets me go, walking back around the table so he's facing me.

"You don't scare easily, do you?" he asks me.

"You have no idea" I say.

"Okay. I have a better idea" Gerard says with a smile. A smile that means bad news for me. "You know, someone my age..we don't, how do I say it? We don't get to feel the touch of a woman like we used too. You understand what i'm saying?" he asks. I meet his eyes evenly, a sickening feeling settling my gut. "Stand up" Gerard says, bringing his gun out again. I decide to abide, standing up. "I want you to take your shirt off for me" he says. I lock eyes with the man, scowling. "Did you hear what I said?" he asks.

"I heard you" I say. "It doesn't mean i'm going to listen. I'm not going to talk so you should just kill me"

"Either your shirt comes off or I take Derek's head off. It's your choice" Gerard says, bringing a walkie from his jacket. I let out a breath, reaching for my shirt, pulling it off over my head and throwing it to the ground with a vicious glare.

"My, my" Gerard smirks, walking over to me again. I stand strong. I'm not afraid of Gerard. "Excuse my staring, I haven't seen a woman as blessed as you are in a long time" he says, fingers touching my shoulder. I suck in an angry breath. "Well go on" he says. I don't move. He brings the walkie up. "Nathan, get Derek ready for-"

"No, wait, stop" I say quickly. Gerard looks at me with an eyebrow raised. I can't let him kill Derek..I can't. I can't let him get hurt because of me. I care about him too much and..I don't want him to get hurt. "I'll..i'll do it. Just don't hurt Derek" I sigh. Gerard smirks.

"It's okay. False alarm" Gerard says, putting the walkie away again. He looks at me expectantly. I glare down at the ground, taking off my bra. Gerard's not killing Derek. No way. I bring my arms up, hiding my exposed chest from his perverted eyes. "I'll ask one more time. Where's the pack?" he asks. I don't say anything. "You are gonna talk or do I have to more persuasive?" he asks.

"Please" I scoff. "I've had boyfriends more vile than you old man" I say, keeping my voice even.

"How sure are you about that?" he asks, bringing his hands to my arms. I hold back a shiver of disgust. "I think you're underestimating me"

"Whatever makes you feel like a man" I sneer, not looking at him.

"Last chance Ashlee. Give them up, you can walk away. Untouched and unharmed" Gerard offers.

"You do what you gotta do" I say. I turn to look at him, spitting venom in my words. "But afterwards, run fast and far because i'm coming for you" I warn him.

..

 **Derek's p.o.v**

The door opens and I look up with a murderous glare. I pull myself to my feet, the wolfsbane they've put in the air is stopping me from shifting and keeping me weak.

"Not so fast" I hear a man say. "Yes, before you ask, I am Gerard" he clarifies as I recognize the voice from the phone call Scott played back to me. The second i'd heard that, I had my pack packing for us to go with them. I wasn't going to let Ash and her family and friends go after their parents alone. No way. Weither me and Ash weren't on speaking terms or not, there was no way I was letting her go off like that. Gerard steps in behind his 2 guards. My heart drops when he pulls Ash in with him. She's topless, arms not doing much to cover her bust. She looks at me, tears in her eyes. Not scared tears, angry tears. I don't need my wolf to see she is beyond mad, she's furious. "Quite the woman you have here Derek" Gerard says. "Very, very beautiful" he says, touching his fingers to her hair. She pulls away from him best she can. I feel a boiling rage pump through me.

"Get your hands off her!" I demand, stepping forward. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest at how angry i'm becoming. Two shotguns pumped full of wolfsbane bullets are trained on me in a split second.

"Derek, stop" Ash pleads, looking at me.

"Like I said, not so fast" Gerard smirks. "Now, one of you is going to tell me where I can find the rest of your pack" Gerard says, looking between Ash and I.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"No. We're not" I say strongly. Gerard looks at me and nods.

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?" Gerard asks me. I don't say anything. "If you're not going to talk, then you're useless" he says, pushing me into the grip of one of the guards. I hold back tears as the barrel of a shotgun is brought to the back of my head.

"Stop!" Derek yells, the other gun trained on him still. I shake my head at him. If this is how I go out, then so be it. I won't give up my brother and our friends and family or Derek's pack. Nothing they do will make me give them up. So if I have to die for them to realise that, so be it.

"Derek, is there something you want to tell me?" Gerard asks him, raising an eyebrow. Derek looks torn. I shake my head at him. He looks like the decision between my safety and the other's safety is physically painful for him to choose between. He opens his mouth to say something.

"You remind me of her, you know?" I cut him off, looking at Gerard. "Of Kate" Gerard's face screws up with anger. "You're both as filthy and perverted as each other. Like father, like daughter I guess" I taunt. Gerard comes back over, grabbing my arm.

"We'll find the others without you" he says, glaring at me. "I'm not going to put you out of your misery. You know what i'm going to do? I'm going to find them. I'm going to kill Derek's pack first" he says, making Derek even angrier. "Then your friends" he says, looking at me. "I'm going to make Allison watch as I cut both of your brothers up and throw the pieces in here with you. I'll let the 4 of you rot together" Gerard tells me darkly, shoving me towards Derek. Derek brings his arms around me, hiding my nakedness againist him. I bring my arms around him, hugging into him, burying my face in his neck. He scowls daggers at Gerard from over my shoulder.

"When I get out of here, i'm going to rip your throat out and let you bleed to death just like Kate did" Derek warns Gerard. Gerard swiftly leaves, the guards following. He hugs me tightly. "Ash..did..did he-"

"No" I shake my head, still buried in his neck. His scent's calming me down. "All for show, I promise" I assure him.

"Doesn't change anything. I swear he'll pay for what he did" Derek assures me. I nod into him. "Here" he says. I pull back, covering my chest again with my arms. Derek peels his own shirt off. He puts it over my head and body and I put my arms through the holes. I sigh in relief, thankful to be covered up again. I hug Derek again.

"Thank you" I say.

"I'm so sorry" he says. "I should have-"

"Don't do that. It's okay-"

"It's not"

"Yeah, it is because i'm fine. Blaming yourself isn't going to change anything, just..i'm okay" say. I brush my hand down his head. I know he's angry and upset with what he just saw. He's breathing quickly, shoulder's squared in an attack stance. "Hey, Der" I say softly, rubbing my hand up and down his back. "It's okay, he barely touched me" I tell him honestly. Once Gerard realised doing _that_ wouldn't make me talk, he though he'd use Derek to get me to talk or vice versa. I'm not lying though, he barely touched me. If he had gone ahead and done more..I don't know what I would have done. Ripped his face off for one, if the guards killed me after that then that's just the way it would have been. But that didn't happen and i'm grateful it didn't.

"But he did touch you" Derek says angerily. "And I didn't stop him"

"Look at me" I say, pulling back, keeping my arms around his back. Derek locks eyes with me. "I'm okay. I am. I don't scare easily, you know that"

"I'm gonna kill him. I'll gonna kill all of them, okay?" he promises me. I nod, hugging him again. He hugs me back tightly, his body still tense.

..

..

 **I told you Gerard was evil and twisted! How are Ash and Derek going to get out of this one? Favourite, follow and review!**


	27. We're Going Back

**You guys are amazing 3 Shout out to;**

 **Beck-Yes, The Walking Dead :)**

 **vtennis2010-I'm glad you do :) It's going to take a 'Resident Evil' turn as well.. I just love the way all these borrowed ideas and scenes tie together :) This chapter focuses on the pack :)**

 **Serena Sterling-I'm happy you liked it :D**

 **AlphaWolf19-Okay..you know what's crazy? Last week I had the exact same idea and starting drafting up scenes of 'The Walking Dead' with a twist and Teen Wolf characters and my Ashlee OC along with her little sister. We are on the same wavelink! I will try make some chapters and see how I am for time and maybe publish it soon-ish :) I can see Gerard doing this too because he's crazy! You'll see the pack this chapter too :)**

 **Revenger Tigger-Oh jeez, I hate both of them! I'm really glad you love Tyler, I love writing scenes with him and Derek :3 I love updating every day as well :) 'Till next time Tig!**

 **Tesla424-Yeah, I wasn't too comfortable writing it so I wanted it to be pretty PG-ish but i'm happy with the way it came out :)**

 **TheMorbidGal-I hate Gerard too! Thanks :) They're sort of together right now..but sort of not. Like they're kissing and stuff but they aren't 'boyfriend and girlfriend' is that's what you meant? But yes, when everythings's settled, if they both make it out safe and sound, I have been drafting up some fluff :)**

 **Bree-He is, right!**

 **DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-Glad you liked it! Thanks, here's the update!**

 **You guys are out of this world! You're so supportive and I love you all and all of your opnions and comments and I just love writing this fic for you all! Quick note, I won't be updating until around lunchtime maybe later, depending on where you live. But you will still get an update!**

 **Scott's p.o.v**

I pace around the small camp we've escaped too. I bite my thumbnail angerily. I'm angry at myself. We took off, we left them there. And you know what? We've had enough. We know both of our alphas told us to go, but we can't leave them. Weither they've been turned or not..god, I hope not, we can't just leave them like that. And that man they were talking to, he was human, uninfected and not being harmed. Something smells fishy. I keep sharing looks with the betas and Stiles. I know Derek's pack are angry and upset that they left their alpha behind. And I know for a fact Erica and Ash were starting to be friends so she's not happy about that either. I look at Stiles, the male wringing his hands. He catches my eye, a silent question passing between us. He nods. I nod back. We've had enough. We're going to find them. I go over to Allison.

"You're going back, aren't you?" she asks, already knowing that's been going through my head since we left them. I nod.

"Yeah. I have too. That's my sister and I can't leave Derek either" I tell her.

"Okay" she nods. "What do you need me to do?" she asks, showing she supports my decision. I give her a small smile.

"You and Lydia take Ash's car, take Tyler. You follow us back you don't follow us inside. I need you to camp up once we find where they are" I tell her.

"Scott..what makes you so sure they're alive?" she asks, lowering her voice so the others don't hear.

"That man, whoever he was..he was human. And they didn't touch him. I don't think they got pinned and..and turned. I think they were taken" I tell her. "And I think they're still out there, somewhere. I have to go find them, you understand that, right?" I ask her hopefully. She nods, grabbing my face and kissing me.

"You're gonna come back to me, right?" Allison asks me, leaning her forehead againist my own.

"I promise, I will" I say. She nods and hugs me tightly. I hug her back, kissing her cheek. She pulls back, wiping her watery eyes. I see Tyler walk over. I kneel down in front of him.

"Wh-why did we l-leave them?" Tyler asks me between sobs. I've never heard the terrified and objective cries come from him that I heard when he saw us leave Ash and Derek. He hasn't stopped crying since.

"We had too. But we're going to get them right now, okay?" I tell Tyler. He nods, cheeks soaked with tears. "I need you to stay with Allison and Lydia-"

"No, I wanna help you find Ash and Derek!" he objects. I shake my head.

"No, i'm sorry buddy. You have to stay with them, you have too"

"No, I don't want too" Tyler says.

"Allison and Lydia are coming with us but then they have to stop. You-you need to be there to lead them, okay? Be the alpha male" I tell him. He smiles a little at the idea. "You'll do that for us? Be the alpha while we're gone?" I ask him.

"Okay" Tyler nods.

"Good boy" I say, pulling him into a hug.

"You're gonna bring Derek back too, right?" Tyler asks. We pull back, me looking at him. "I love Derek as well. I want him to come back too" Tyler says, sounding worried. Did he just say he loves Derek? As much as Derek's tried to keep up that angry, brooding facade..he's opened his heart to Tyler alot. We've all seen it. He's taken Tyler under his wing like he was his own son. And I don't have anything bad to say about that. I'd say it's the same with Ash and him but we don't see much of that, not like Derek and Tyler, both adults are private people.

"Yeah Ty, Derek too. I wouldn't leave him behind" I say, speaking honestly. Even though i've had my problems with him, he's here to protect us, his _family_. That's what really matters. Derek even said it himself.

 _"Derek?" Tyler says, sitting down with him._

 _"Yeah?" Derek says, looking at him._

 _"If you're not Ash's boyfriend then why do you kiss her?" Tyler asks curiously. Derek becomes slightly flustered, unsure how to answer._

 _"Because she's important to me" he tells Tyler._

 _"Like family is?"_

 _"Like family is" Derek nods. "You and Scott as well. You'll like my family too"_

 _"Does that mean you're my brother?" Tyler asks._

 _"Not exactly" Derek says._

 _"Can I call you my brother?" Tyler asks. Derek smiles softly._

 _"Maybe not. I don't think Scott would like that" he says._

 _"But Scott's your family too?" Ty says, getting confused._

 _"He is but.. Okay, listen" Derek says, moving to sit in front of Tyler, giving the younging all his attention. "You don't have to put a name to everything"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Like me and Ash. I'm not her boyfriend but I do kiss her and she's very important to me" Derek tells him._

 _"So we're still family? Even if I don't call you my brother?"_

 _"Yeah" Derek nods with a smile._

 _"Are me and Scott important to you too?" Tyler asks him._

 _"Of course" Derek says without hesitation. "Everyone's looking for the thrill. But what's most important, is family. Hold onto that Ty" Derek tells him. Tyler nods. I come out from where I was watching, Derek looking up at me._

 _"Hey" I say._

 _"Hey" Derek says, not realising I was watching and listening. "Everything okay?"_

After that, I trusted Derek alot more with Tyler. It's why I didn't stop him from sleeping with Derek and Ash the other night. It's painfully obvious Ash is important to him and I heard him say, and his heart stay steady as he said, Tyler and I were important to him too. So yes, we're going back for him as well as Ash. Besides, Ash would kick my ass if I even tried to leave the brooding alpha behind. Ash tries to hide it, but she's falling for him, I can tell. And he's falling for her too. And i'm accepting that because they did the same for Allison and I. Derek's changed, he has, good changes though. He doesn't just see us as pack anymore, we're family. And he protects his family. So if being with Derek makes Ash happy, and being with Ash makes Derek happy then..then i'm going to let them be happy. Because that's all I want, I just want them to be happy. Now I just have to put that to action.

"Okay, let's move out" I make the call.

..

We've tracked their scents a long way away from where they were ambushed. I can't figure out why, but the human man we saw, he walked away from that whole thing still human. I can smell it. I don't understand how either. And there's another human scent, an older male. This is all really confusing, and i'm becoming more and more convinced that they are alive and someone's taken them. I just know it. We come to a building that appears to be abandoned. But it can't be. Ash and Derek's scents, along with the humans, comes here. Ash and Derek's scents that are still _their's_ , not overpowered by the stink of rotting flesh. I'm certain now. I know they're in here. I just hope they're okay. Allison and Lydia, with Tyler, have stopped a couple minutes back. They're staying with the cars and the supplies and looking after Tyler.

"Stiles and Peter with me. Erica, Isaac, Boyd, take the left. Watch out, it smells of wolfsbane. If you're cornered, howl or signal us somehow. Okay?" I tell them. The 4 wolves nod. "We find Derek and Ash and we get out of here without any injury, okay?" all 5 nod. "Okay, let's go"

..

"Scott" Stiles says. I walk over to him. "Isn't this Ash's?" he asks, holding up her signature white racer singlet. I nod with a frown. What's her shirt doing on the ground? Then I see it. I feel a lump in my throat when along with her shirt is a bra. I feel my wolf clawing to get out. "Hey, let's just find them, alright?" Stiles says, seeing i'm having trouble keeping in control.

"It reeks of wolfsbane in here. If she was in here with the door shut, she..she would have been powerless" I say, looking at Stiles. His face falls as he takes in those words.

"If Derek's here with her then she's safe" Peter assures me.

"Let's just find them and get out of here" I mumble, walking away from him. I swear, if whoever took them so much as touched my sister, i'm going to kill him..bloody. We walk out, coming to the next door. It's got a series of locks on it. Whatever's in here is important..or _who_ ever. Stiles and I share a look. Stiles came prepared, bringing out a case filled with different sized lockpickers. He hands me one, giving me a hopeful look. We both get to work on the locks. I don't how long we stood there, picking away. There's a satisfying click as the main lock is unhinged. I swallow thicky. Stiles, Peter and I share a look before pushing the door open and walking in. Angry green eyes filled with enough anger to kill a person look up at us. Derek's eyes softens when he sees it's us. He's sitting on the ground, shirtless. Ash is in his lap, he's got his arms around her. She's wearing his shirt. That makes me angry, it means someone made her get undressed.

"Scott?" Ash says, looking up at us too. We rush over to the pair and the both jump to their feet.

"Ash!" I say, running over and hugging her. She hugs me back tightly. "What did they do to you?" I ask her, voice angry.

"Nothing" she says. "I'm so glad you're okay" she says.

"We're so glad you two are as well" I say, looking between them.

"Scott, it's Gerard. Gerard brought us here. He's got men and they've got gunpower" Ash tells me. I lock eyes with Derek, giving him a thankful nod for looking out for her.

"We need to go then" Peter says. "He's probably been waiting for us"

"Peter's right, he has" Ash clarifies. "All of this, it's been a trap. We wants us dead and he never planned to give us back our parents"

"Okay, come on. Let's get out" I say.

"Scott, wait" Ash says. I stop, turning back to her. "If Gerard's here then..then maybe Mom is too" she says. I think it over.

"There's nowhere else around here. They have to be here" Stiles says, eyes wide. "Scott, my Dad's here"

"And Allison's Dad too" I say. I look between our small group, each looking determined. "Let's go find them" I say. They nod. The room stinks of wolfsbane and both Derek and Ash are weakened from being shut in here with it. I help Ash walk, Peter helping keep Derek steady. We walk out of the room, shutting the door so it's not obvious they've escaped. We head back the way we came. Stiles texts the others, telling them to get out, that we've got them. I glance nervously at Derek. His entire body's tense. He's angry. He's more than angry, he's fuming. I don't know what exactly happened with Ash's clothes but Derek's in no way happy about it. I'm actually a little intimidated right now, he's so angry but I don't want to ask what happened. Not only am I scared for the answer but Derek would probably snap, and now's not the time to have an explosive alpha. We need to find our parents and get out of here before they do more than lock us in a room with wolfsbane.

"Scott" Stiles says, stopping at another door with similiar locks on it. "Maybe.."

"Get it open" I nod, thinking the same thing. Our parents are in here, they have to be. But the moment Stiles picks that first lock, alarms start blearing loudly, lights flashing.

"You really think it'd be that easy?" comes Gerard's voice. Derek's head snaps up, eyes shining red. "I hope for your sake Scott, you didn't come in here just the 3 of you" Gerard says, revealing himself, armed guards coming up at his sides.

"He didn't" comes Isaac's voice. Erica, Isaac and Boyd step up alongside us. I give them a nod. Derek does the same, looking over his pack proudly.

"You just delievered yourselves to me" Gerard smirks. "And you even brought me back Peter" it's Derek that roars and lunges first, his pack following closely. Peter and I go in too, Ash and Stiles following us. We weren't exactly prepared for a fight but if it's a fight Gerard wants, he's going to get it.

..

 **Gerard's p.o.v**

"Hit the smoke!" I call out when the Hale pack look as though they may actually be triumphant over us. Derek hears me, turning around to face me. I swallow loudly when the alpha flashes his red eyes at me, roaring and baring sharp fangs. Before he can even get over to me, white smoke fills the room, surrounding every one of else. The were-creatures start to cough, choking on the wolfsbane. I watch with a smirk as all wolves fall victim to the wolfsbane smoke. We watch them drop to the ground, unconcious and lifeless. One of my guards deals with the human boy, him dropping to the ground unconcious as well.

"Targets have been subdued. Directions?" an armed guard asks me.

"Find the rest of them, they won't be far. Then send them all on holiday boys, drop off a care package. I need them alive for now" I say. "Keep the jaguar with me. I want to run some trial tests on her first"

"We have our orders. Move out" head of security calls out to his crusade. I watch as the pack are taken, some dragged, away. I crotch down beside Ashlee, looking down at her. I've never encountered a werejaguar before. Before I kill them all for what they've did to my daughter, i've going to get some information out of them for the beastiary and my new little project. I'll start with the werejaguar and move onto the wolves. But timing is key. One at a time, keep them isolated and unable to be a threat. Keep them distracted. I have a good idea to cover all of those things.

"Let's see what makes a werejaguar tick, shall we?" I ask the unconcious girl with a wicked smirk.

..

..

 **Just when you thought it was over, when you thought they were all going to get out safe and find their parents..BAM! Plot twist! What the heck could Gerard possibly be planning this time? Favourite, follow and review!**


	28. Lost And Found

**Yes, managed to update as normal! Yes! More twists! What will this bring for the future of the Hale/McCall pack?**

 **Shout out to;**

 **vtennis2010-I actually think I hate Gerard more than the Governor now! But the Gorvernor does** _ **really**_ **suck :P Derek will have his chance to get it all out of his system ;) Dashlee is guaranteed..if they both make it out..**

 **Serena Sterling-I know, i'm mean, it's just the way my inner writer works! 'Derek and his family' :3 Loved the words, especially 'staggering' but i'm not sure why, it just sounds really cool :P**

 **Beck-I promise, no hiatus for this fic! I love it, I think it might be my favourite and I really love writing it :)**

 **Revenger Tigger-Hmm, maybe? Gerard just sucks anyway :P And yes, he is a douche-waggle!**

 **nosferatufan-Hey! You're back :) I really like this fic too so I think that's a good thing :D**

 **AlphaWolf19-I know, I think alot of the readers thought they would find the parents and sail off into the sunset..but, no :P No, the trials aren't good news. I was going to spin-off 'The Walking Dead' but with Teen Wolf characters. I was thinking Derek would be like Daryl and Ash and her little sister would find the farm and everyone there and just be added in becuae i'm not a fan of Lori or Maggie really. But i'll see where it takes me and let you know!**

 **Bree x2-Poor Hershel :( :( I know, me and my messed up plot twists :P**

 **Lara-Cat-I love it!**

 **I'm taking another spin on things, as you can tell ;) I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed their on the road, Croatoans chased journey!**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

"Derek? Come on big guy, wake up" I wake to someone shaking me. "Derek? Derek, wake up" I stir, opening my eyes. My throat's dry as all hell and my body feels weak. "There you go" Stiles says, the one trying to shake me awake. He helps me to sit up. I shake my head, rubbing my eyes. "It's the wolfsbane, you'll be weak for a little while" he tells me.

"St-Stiles?" I say, finding my throat's drier than I thought. Stiles stands up, holding his hand out to me. I take it and the male helps me to my feet. I stop, actually taking the time out to look at my surroundings. Sand. Water. Trees. More sand. More water. More trees. "Where the hell are we?" I ask, turning to Stiles.

"You're guess is as good as mine" he shrugs. "I don't remember anything after going after Gerard and his men. There was smoke..then nothing. I just woke up here with you" he tells me.

"Where are the others?" I ask, looking around. It's just me and Stiles.

"I just woke up too. Looks like it's just us" Stiles says, looking down at his feet sadly. I bring a hand to his shoulder, clapping his shoulder. He smiles at little at my attempt to comfort him. Then a howl splits through the air, my wolf instantly perking up. "Who was that?"

"It's Scott, we're not alone here. Come on" I say, taking off in a sprint towards the howl. Stiles keeps up with me as we race through the thick foliage. There's just trees and trees and branches and leaves, seemingly endless. I suck in a breath, letting out my own signalling howl. I hear Scott again, we're getting closer. Then I hear another howl, a lighter howl. Erica. Scott howls out again, signalling to Erica.

"Derek, here!" Stiles says, pointing. I turn, seeing Scott. Stiles and I race over to where the alpha's looking around with wide confused eyes. Stiles collides into Scott, hugging the male tightly. Relief floods through me when my eyes fall to the young blue-eyed male standing beside Scott, looking terrified. Tyler sees me and runs over to me, crying. He hugs my legs and I feel my stomach drop as he sobs. I bend down and lift Tyler up, hugging him to my chest.

"Thank god you're okay" I breath out, rubbing his back.

"D-Derek..where-where are w-we?" he asks through his tears.

"It's okay" I say, pulling him back to look at him. I will admit..my wolf whined inside of me as I Iooked into those tear-filled, scared blue eyes. "You're okay now, i'm here" I assure him. I know i'm not one to express my feelings openly but me and my wolf feel the need to assure this boy that he's going to safe as long as i'm around. I turn around, hearing fastly approaching footsteps. Erica comes into view, Allison and Lydia with her.

"Allison!" Scott yells. They run towards each other, grabbing each other in a tight embrace and kissing, relieved. Stiles smiles, jogging up to Lydia and hugging her. Erica comes over to me, looking scared. I squeeze her shoulder.

"You okay?" I ask the beta.

"Yeah..I-I think so" she nods. "I don't know where Boyd and Isaac are though. Derek, I tried to find them but I couldn't" she tells me.

"It's okay. We're gonna find them" I assure her. Erica nods, eyes falling to Tyler. He shys away from her, hiding his face in my neck. "He's just scared" I tell her, hoping she doesn't take it offensively. But she doesn't, she just nods in understanding. Scott and the others walk over to us.

"We have to find the others" Scott says. I nod in agreement.

"We're missing Ash, Boyd, Isaac and Peter" Stiles says. My wolf sulks a little at 'Ash'. I hope she's okay. I hope the others are too..maybe not Peter as much.

"What do we do? Do we split up?" Allison asks.

"No" I say, stepping up as the alpha like I should be. "We don't split up, we don't lose each other. We look for them together" I say.

"He's right" Scott nods, supporting my decision.

"Allison, can you take Tyler?" I ask her. She nods, reaching out for the male. He tries to hold onto me but eventually lets go. It's upsetting but I might have to wolf out becuse we don't know what could happen, and I don't want him to be in the middle of that and get hurt. Scott nods to me and I walk with him, backing up the pack. We walk back into the jungle, walking through the trees and foilage. Erica howls out every now and then, signalling to the others. Scott puts his hand out and we both stop. The pack go on a few metres ahead before we begin walking again.

"What do you remember?" Scott asks me, keeping his voice down.

"Just fighting then all the wolfsbane smoke. And then Stiles was waking me up on a beach" I tell him. "You?"

"Same deal" Scott sighs. "Derek..I have no idea where we are" he says, a hint of fear coming into his voice. I glance at him.

"Let's just focus on finding the others first. We can figure the rest out after we're together again" I say. Scott nods, biting his lip. I notice the action right away. Ash does the exact same thing when she's stressing or worried. "What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Nothing" he says quickly, letting his lip go..just like Ash does. He's lying.

"You know, your sister does the same thing" I say, eyes scanning the bush.

"What?" he asks.

"That thing where you bite your lip when you're worried" I say, pointing to my own lip. "She does it too" Scott sighs.

"I just..I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach" he tells me.

"That's not all though" I say, knowing i'm right. Scott stops. I stop once I see he's stopped too. Stiles turns around, the pack seeing he's stopped too.

"Scott? You okay?" Stiles asks him.

"I'm fine. We'll catch up" Scott says in dismissial. They turn back around and continue walking. Stiles is a little more reluctant, still looking at Scott with a frown. "Really Stiles, we're fine" he says. Stiles nods and catches back up to Lydia. I turn to Scott, confused.

"What's up?" I ask him, seeing he's obviously got more on his mind than just what's happening now.

"Derek, what happened to Ash in there?" he asks, meeting my eyes. I look at his eyes, seeing he really wants to know but is also scared for the answer. I open my mouth to say something..but I just sigh.

"She's okay" I tell him.

"That's not what I asked you" he says, not having any of my avoidance of the subject. I look down at my feet. I don't want to talk about this. I wish it never happened, even if it was barely anything..it shouldn't have happened. I know i'll never let it happen again. "I know it's not something you want to think about, but I need to know" Scott says. I look back up, meeting his gaze. "Derek"

"I promise you, they'll pay for what they did" I say. I can't..say it outloud. I can't even think clearly because now i'm mad just thinking about it. I want Gerard and every one of those guards dead. Bloody.

"Did he..did he r-"

"No" I say quickly, not letting him finish that word. "No, I swear"

"Then what happened in there?" he asks me. I let out a deep breath.

"Gerard, he..he made her get undressed" I tell him. I see the same anger that flashed in my eyes, flash in his. "He threatened her..he said he was gonna kill all of us. But Ash..she ran her mouth and Gerard left her with me" I tell him with a stressed chuckle at Ashlee's reckless bravery. "She told me she was okay, she promised" I assure him. Scott nods, letting out a shaky breath. "I know.." I sigh, understanding his reaction.

"We find the others. We get off this damn island. We find Gerard and we rip his throat out" Scott says simply, trying to keep his voice calm. I nod in agreement. "Thanks..for being there for her" he says to me with a hint of a smile.

"I'll always gonna be here for her" I tell him. He meets my eyes, studying them like he's trying to see if i'm lying. "For all of you" I say honestly. Scott smiles a little more, clapping me over the shoulder.

"Let's catch up" he says, dropping the subject. I nod, taking the lead again.

..

We've been walking for about 10 minutes before there's rustling in the leaves across the way.

"Stay back" I tell the pack, stepping forward. I flick my claws out, eyes lighting up red. My attack stance falls and I sigh in relief when Peter walks out of the bush. Boyd comes out next, an arm around a weak-looking Isaac. The others come forward and we go over to the 3. I go to Isaac's side, checking him over. "What happened?" I ask my beta, taking some of his pain. It's not alot but it's still there.

"I'm not sure..must have been when they were bringing us here" Isaac says. I look at him properly.

"You were awake?" I ask him.

"Barely, and only towards the end. We were in something..like-like a truck or something" he recalls. "That's all I remember"

"It's okay" I say. I manage to take the achey pain he's feeling. He nods his thanks. Boyd helps him to sit down. That's when I realise..something's wrong. I look around. I see Peter. I walk up to him. "Where's Ash?" I ask him.

"What do you mean?" Peter asks. He looks past me, looking around the group. "Why isn't she with you?"

"I was with Stiles. We found the others. She was supposed to be with you guys" I say, my wolf starting to panic inside of me.

"Wait..so you don't know where she is?" Peter asks, lowering his voice and stepping forward. I shake my head. Scott walks over, seeing our close conversation.

"Where's Ash?" Scott asks, having the same thoughts as me.

"She wasn't with us" Peter says.

"What do you mean she wasn't with you?" Scott asks, his voice getting a little louder. "Where the hell is she then?" he asks, voice climbing an octive and attracting the attention of the pack.

"Scott, I don't know" Peter says. "She wasn't with us"

"Then where is she?" Erica asks, hearing us.

"Derek, where's Ash?" Tyler asks, looking at me. I don't have an answer. So I do the only thing I can think of. I wolf out, taking off.

"Derek! Wait!" I hear Scott yell after me. I'm not sticking around to listen to them argue. I'm going to go find her. She's by herself, it's not safe. I let out a signalling howl, hoping she'll hear it. I look to the side when I hear footsteps keeping up with me. Scott nods, deciding to help me instead of stop me.

..

We stop after a full 2 hours of non-stop running. We've returned to the group as the sun's going down. Turns out, some kind of box full of supplies was left here, addressed to us. So Gerard doesn't want us dead. _Yet_..

"Anything?" Allison asks Scott. Scott shakes his head, tears in his eyes. There's nothing. No tracks. No scent. There's nothing to follow, there's nothing to pick up. I sit down on a rock away from everyone, hanging my head and catching my breath. I feel a hand come to my shoulder. I shrug it off.

"Don't touch me" I say to Peter, knowing it's him without looking up.

"Hey, we're gonna find her" he says firmly, crotching down in front of me to catch my eye.

"How do you know?" I ask him, looking up to meet his eyes.

"I might not know her like you or Scott do, but I do know she'd never leave her family behind again. She'll find a way back, no matter what. If i'm wrong, tell me i'm wrong" he says, meeting my eyes evenly as well. I sigh, rubbing my hands down my face.

"You're not wrong" I say. As if all this crap hasn't been stressful enough; the driving, fighting off those things, being kidnapped, being gased out and dragged to some isolated island..now Ash is nowhere to be found. And that's really worrying me and it's really stressing my wolf too.

"We all need some rest. It's been a long few days and we're exhausted" Peter says, speaking to all of us.

"No. Not until we find my sister" Scott frowns. I go to object as well..but then I look around us. Isaac's still weak but healing. Allison, Lydia and Stiles look flushed and tired. Tyler's drifting in and out of conciousness in Allison's arms. Boyd and Erica are sitting together, looking worn out themselves. Even Peter looks tuckered out. And then when I look at Scott, he just looks stressed, and worried..and scared. There's nothing to track..I don't know where else to look.

"Scott.." I say, standing up. He looks over at me.

"You wanna stop looking too?" he asks me, face twisting angerily. "I really thought you cared-"

"I do care, don't you dare say that I don't" I warn him, stepping forward.

Hey, guys..come on" Stiles says, standing between us. Peter hangs close by as well. "Scott..you know I love Ash, you know I do. But Peter's right, we're exhausted, and you are too. Give us a few hours and hell, i'll come help you look some more, alright?" Stiles offers, looking at his best friend. Scott doesn't look convinced. "She's a strong girl, we both know this-we _all_ know this" Stiles says. "Come on Scott" he coaxes. Scott's angry posture falls and he sighs, nodding reluctantly.

"I'll come too" I say. Scott looks past Stiles at me. He nods.

"Thank you" he says. I nod back, the tension settling until it's gone. As much as I want to keep looking, and trust me I _really_ do, we can't keep going on fumes. We need sleep too, not matter how supernaturally gifted we are, we're not immortal, we're not invincible. We have the supplies we were left, which is suprisingly more luxurious than I would imagine. The pack start to settle together, keeping close. I feel a hand on my shoulder again but it's not Peter's. I turn around. Scott looks at me sheepishly. "Um..i'm sorry" he apologies.

"It's okay. You're worried, I understand" I say.

"No..I was out of line. I know you care, I know you really care. I shouldn't have said that..so i'm sorry" he says. I nod, giving him a small smile. He returns it. "I'll see you in a few hours" Scott says.

"I'll see you in a few hours" I say back. He walks over to Allison and Tyler. I slide down and sit on the ground, leaning againist the rock I was previously sitting on. I see my betas looking at me nervously. "Come here" I say. They smile, walking over. One by one, they lay down close to me, getting ready to go to sleep. I'm tired but I want to wait until the others are asleep before going to sleep, I just want to make sure they're safe and comfortable. I've been like this since I became the alpha. It's about 10 minutes in when I hear even breathing and my own eyes are starting to droop.

"We're gonna find her Derek" I hear Erica say quietly. I open my eyes, turning on head to look at the girl laying beside me. I offer her a small smile. "She loves you and her brothers too much to not find her way back" she says, turning over so she doesn't have to face me and my reaction. I don't say anything, I just kind of sit there and replay those words in my head. She..loves me.. Erica can't possibly know that for sure. No, there's no way she could know that. She cares about me, I know that. I care about her too, alot. _Alot_ alot. I close my eyes again, trying to force myself to go to sleep before I overthink and brood instead of sleep.

..

..

 **Erica went there! Don't fret, 'Ash' is making her debute very,** _ **very**_ **soon ;) Favourite, follow and review!**


	29. Waking Up To Ash And Dust

**Shout out to;**

 **DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-Don't sweat it, Ash's making her apperance :)**

 **Xhex1-Thank you, i'm glad :)**

 **vtennis2010-Woops! No, Scott is not the alpha, my mistake! Derek's the alpha and Ash is sort of the female alpha but she's not actually an alpha herself. As for Gerard, you'll learn more about what happened in doses :) I don't plan to bring Kate into it, I don't like her character and the pack's got enough problems :P But i'm glad you like it!**

 **Serena Sterling-Will he get away with it? Will they all make it out safe? We'll see :P**

 **nosfertufan-So do I 3**

 **AlphaWolf19-No, it's steering more towards Resident Evil :) I haven't seen either of those movies so i'm not too sure but it may :) I've been drafting up more stuff for TWD one! I have to say, I really liked Merle's character but not Beth's, we're opposite :P Gerard can be Governor-ish, you'll see more of that :)**

 **Bree-That was Stiles telling Scott he loved Ash :P And at the end it was Erica telling Derek Ash loved him to try comfort her alpha :)**

 **Julia N SnowMiko-Mohaha! ;)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I almost can't breath. My throat hurts. It's dry, it's like trying to swallow razor blades. I cough, eyes opening. I immediantly regret it. The sun burns againist my retinas, making me turn away to shield them. Then comes the pain in my body. The aches, the strains. My vision blurs and fizzes as I try to look at my limbs. Dark purple and black patches cover them. Bruises. Dozens of bruises. I try to pull myself up off the sand but I fail, falling back down on my stomach. The jerked action causes my stomach to object. Bile's forced up my throat until it's staining the sand red. Red. It's blood. I look down at the pool of blood soaking into the sand in horror. I panic, tears coming to my eyes making them sting more than they already do.

"Wh-where am I?" I ask myself, looking around. I see fuzzy green and yellow lush outlines of trees, wildlife. I'm so dizzy, so disorientated. I grip the sand, holding onto it as I feel my body, or maybe it's my head, swaying. I cough, more blood splattering againist the sand. That's not good. I pull myself to my feet, trying to focus my eyes on my surroundings. There's water, alot of water. I stumble, catching myself on a large boulder but still managing to cut my elbow. I cringe in pain, bringing my hand to it. It aches, but nowhere near as much as my body does.

"Ash?!" I hear someone yell. There's people here?

"Help!" I yell out to them.

"ASHLEE!" there's another voice. I see their outlines as my eyes still can't adjust. They come charging at me, black figures. I try to tell them to stay back but arms wrap around me, squeezing me tight. I panic as my body flares up in pain. What's happening?

"Get off me!" I yell, kicking out at this person until i've successfully seperated us. I stand as tall as I can, breathing heavily. "Don't touch me" I warn the person who just grabbed me. I can vaguely make him out to be male.

"Ash?" the man says. "Ash, who did this to you?" he asks, looking at my arms and legs. I look down at the bruises and cuts that spot my skin.

"Wh..what?" I ask, confused. Why do they keep saying that name? I look around at all the figures, some female, some male. I definitely feel threatened. I'm definitely scared. I'm definitely panicking.

"Ash, did they hurt you?" the male with the green eyes asks. I don't know what to say. I just..don't know.

"Derek, she's terrified" the first voice I heard earlier says to green eyes. He steps forward. "Ash, you're okay" he says softly. He holds a hand out to the others and they back up a few steps. I'm grateful for that but i'm definitely not dropping my guard. "Ashlee? It's me" he says.

"I-I don't know you" I tell him. "And I don't know who Ashlee is" I say, stepping back with my hands up, coaxing him to not hurt me.

"Ash it's me, it's Scott" the male says, taking another step forward. I take another step back, my feet dipping into the cool water of the vast ocean. I flinch a little but stay facing the unknown man. Green eyes steps forward and I flinch again. "Derek, back off" he tells the man. "Let me handle this"

"Just..just let me go" I plead in a hoarse voice, the tears building from earlier finally falling.

"I'm not gonna hurt you" he says. "It's me, it's your brother"

"I don't..I don't have a brother. I..I don't know" I say, getting overwhelmed and confused.

"Ashy?" I turn to see another figure has stepped forward. A much smaller figure. My eyes focusing in and out like a camera. He's just a kid. "Ashy? I'm Tyler, remember me?" he asks me.

"Who is Ashlee? Who are you?" I ask them, chest rising and falling too fast as I panic.

"Ash, what did they do to you?" the male closest to me asks.

"I..I don't remember" I say. "I don't remember anything" I say in a scared whisper. "I don't remember who I am" I breath out, the tears winning the battle over my cheeks. A strange feeling bursts from my chest, filling my entire body from the tip of my toes to the hair on my hair. I stumble dizzily. And then I lose all conciousness.

..

 **Scott's p.o.v**

"Ash?!" I yell, seeing the girl fall into the water unconcious. I rush to her side, lifting her out as she goes under. Derek races over too, the pack following. I can't help the scared tears that come to my eyes. Derek quickly takes the girl into his arms, lifting her up and bringing her back to shore.

"What happened to her?" Stiles asks.

"Why doesn't she know who we are?" Isaac asks.

"Is she alive?" Erica asks. I see the frustration and fear building on the alpha's face as each question is fired at him. He looks up with glassey red eyes. He roars at them, demanding they get back. Each step back, either out of obedience or fear.

"Stay with her" I tell Derek. I get up, going to stand in front of the pack. "Okay, I-I need a nice bed made up, I need drinking water and something for her to eat" I tell them. "Go do that, all of you" I tell them. One look from Derek has them all walking away. Stiles grabs my shirt, not angerily but out of desperation.

"Scott, what the hell happened to her?" he asks me, his own tears threatening to spill over.

"I don't really know, some kind of memory loss but we're gonna find out" I assure him, my teary eyes meeting his. "Take Tyler back to camp, keep him calm, okay? Can you do that for me?" Stiles nods. "She's gonna be okay Stiles, i'll make sure of it" he glances one more time at the wet, unconcious girl in the sand before scooping Tyler up and following the others back to camp. I race back over to Derek, dropping down beside Ash. "What's happening?"

"She's not waking up" the alpha tells me, eyes staring down at her. I search for a pulse.

"She's okay. She's got a pulse, a weak pulse but a pulse all the same" I say, looking at him. He's just staring down at her sadly. "Derek!" I snap. He looks up at me. "I need your help" he nods, picking her up again. We take her back to camp, finding the things I asked for have been done. Derek places her down on the makeshift bed. I cover her with a blanket. "Ash?" I call out, touching the girl's cheek. She's freezing and pale.

"I'll make a fire" Peter says, getting up. Derek gives him a thankful nod.

"Ash?" I call out again. She doesn't respond or move, she doesn't even stir. I can't help the tears that wash over me. I hand comes to my shoulder. I look to see Derek, he's trying to comfort me while he deals with this dilemmia himself. I can't help it. I start to cry, hugging the male. He's tense with suprise and non-responsive at first but slowly eases into it, rubbing my shoulders. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that are flowing but I can't.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

This time when I wake up, it's different. I'm warm. I'm comfortable. I open my eyes to see darkness aside the small fire burning beside me. I roll onto my side, coughing. I cough up more blood into sand. I fall back into the softness of this..whatever it is. I try to pull myself to sit up.

"Take it easy" I jolt, my head snapping towards the voice. "Hey, we're not here to hurt you, we're here to help you" the male, Scott, says.

"Help with what?" I ask, getting to my feet.

"With helping you heal" a voice says from behind me. I spin around, trying to escape them both. I stumble. "Ash, stop-" he grabs my arm.

"Don't touch me" I warn him, grabbing his wrist to pull his hand off me. My head rushes and I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling something close to a bad migrane coming on.

"Ash? Ashlee?" he asks, steadying me with a hand to my back. Images flash behind my eyes, vague, some clearer than others.

 _The revv of an engine. More than one actually. Flashes of matte black doors. I see a hood scope. There's dirt, dust in the air._

 _"1970 Mustang" I hear the man's voice. It's the same voice. A flash of those green eyes._

 _"Chevy Camaro" that's..that's my voice. There's revving and it gets louder and louder._

"Ashlee!" my eyes fly open and I take deep breaths. What the hell was that? "Ash, are you okay?" Scott asks. I pull away from the other man, sitting back down. Both males look at each other before turning to me. "Ash, talk to me" Scott says, crotching down in front of me.

"Um..what happened to me?" I ask him, meeting his eyes. "Where are we? Who am I?" I ask. Scott looks between my eyes, his own filled with worry. He sits down in front of me properly.

"You're name is Ashlee McCall" he tells me. I try to remember but it doesn't ring any bells. "I'm Scott, Scott McCall. I'm your brother. The young boy from back at the beach, his name's Tyler McCall and he's our younger brother" he tells me. "Our mother's name is Melissa and our father's name is Rafael. Any of this sound familiar?" he asks. I shake my head.

"No..no, it's all hazzy" I tell him. "Who is that?" I ask Scott, nodding to the male still hanging around.

"His name's Derek Hale. You two are sort of.."

"Sort of what?" I ask him. The two males share a look.

"Together" Scott finishes. "Well you're..you're something" I look at this man, finding he won't meet my eyes.

"He's Derek?"

"Yeah" Scott nods.

"My sort of boyfriend? And you're Scott, my brother and that kid is my brother too?" I ask. Scott nods.

"Listen, you've suffering some kind of memory loss and I don't know how long it's going to last but you can trust us, okay? We're your family, all of us are" he says.

"I.."

"I know, you don't think you can but you just..you're just gonna have too. We're gonna keep you safe and get your memory back" he says.

"Okay" I nod. What other choice do I have? I'm on an _island_. There's not really anywhere for me to run. I'd rather play along with this group than try my luck out there on my own. "How'd we get here? And why were you all already here when I got here?" I ask my..brother..

"Don't worry about that right now, okay? We'll tell you everything but not now. You need to relax, drink, eat, heal" he says, passing me a bottle of water. "Have these too" he says, handing me a bag of peanuts. I raise an eyebrow.

"Salted peanuts?" I ask, a little confused.

"You won't remember but they're your favourite" he tells me with a soft smile. I nod, smiling in the slightest myself. "Eat then let your body heal"

"Like I have control over that" I say, bringing the bottle of water to my lips. The cool liquid soothes my throat in as instant. I see Scott and Derek looking at each other. "What?" I ask them.

"Can you shift?" Derek asks me. I look at him in confusion.

"Shift what?" I ask him. They share another look. What the hell?

"Nothing, it's nothing" Scott says.

"Scott!" the little boy, my other..brother Tyler, calls out. I'm still adjusting to this new information. Scott looks at me.

"I have to go check on the p..um, the others. Will you be okay here with Derek?" he asks me. I nod.

"We're a thing, right? I'm sure i'll be fine. Go check on your group" I tell him. He gives me a smile and gets up, leaving. I look at Derek. He sits down where Scott was, looking at me with that same worried face. "Uh..hey" I say a little awkwardly.

"Hey" he says with a weak smile.

"Listen..i'm sorry about all that stuff back there. I had no idea" I apologise.

"It's okay, I get it" he nods. "But you should know, I would never do anything to hurt you" he says.

"Good" I say. "Because you're kind of insanely handsome" I say with a smile, lightening the mood. Derek chuckles, a smile coming to his lips. A smile that looks..almost familiar. I look into his green eyes. Those also look familiar.

"Well you're kind of insanely beautiful, just like the day I first met you" he says, looking into his lap shyly. Wow. Who knew i'd be able to bag such a gentleman?

"Can you tell me what happened the first day we met?" I ask him, eating from my bag of peanuts. "I'm curious" I say. He nods.

"You were coming back into town to move back in with your mother and your brothers. I.." he trails off, looking like he's trying to find the right words.

"You what?" I ask him.

"I was..on these dirt roads, just driving. I happened across you in the same place and pulled up beside you" he tell me.

"And let me guess..you took my breath away and we went out for coffee and fell in love?" I say, hating the cliche. He chuckles.

"No, not at all" he says.

"Then what?" I ask, interested.

"You challenged me to a race" he tells me. "We raced, well..we didn't get to finish because the cops caught us. We were arrested and taken to holding cells for the night. We had to spend the night in one together and..that's how it all started"

"Really?" I ask. He nods. "That's so..awesome" I smile. "Tell me the truth, who was winning?" I ask him, holding the bag of peanuts out to him. He chuckles but doesn't answer, reaching into the bag. The rushing fills my head again and more images flash behind my eyes.

 _"This dirt road is exactly a quater mile" I say._

 _"You want me to race you?" Derek asks me. More images of cars, flashes, scroll through my mind. Cars that are familiar, cars that I know. The images flash to bars, there's bars everywhere. A cell._

 _"John let you have them in here?" Derek asks, his hand in my bag of peanuts._

 _"Yeah" I smile at the man._

"Ash?" I snap out of it, much less sudden this time. "Ash, are you okay?" he asks me. I look down at the peanuts and back up at Derek, looking into his green eyes.

"Do you drive a Camaro?" I ask him. His eyes widen. "Do I drive a Mustang?" he nods.

"How'd did you know that?" he asks.

"You. When I-when I grabbed you before, I saw you, in my head. There was flashes of parts of these cars. Just then, I saw us in our cars. I challenged you to race me and then..and then we were in a jail cell, eating peanuts together" I recall.

"That's what happened" he nods. "Do you remember anything else?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Not yet. But I think..I think it's coming back, slowly" I tell him.

"That's good" he says. "You should rest some more, you need it" he says. "I'm gonna stay right here, alright? I'm not going anywhere" Derek assures me. I give him a small smile before laying back down on the bed. I close my eyes. I'm still tense and confused and a little scared. But I saw the things Derek told me, so it must be somewhat true. I'm aching to find out more, to remember more. I don't know what it is but something, deep inside me, is hungrier for the truth than I am.

..

..

 **So she's practically got amnesia and remembers next to nothing. Don't worry, it won't last forever, she's slowly getting it back. And what's deep inside of her? We all know what :D Favourite, follow and review!**


	30. Messy Memories

**Wow! That amnesia twist really riled you guys up! In a good way I hope :)**

 **Shout out to;**

 **vtennis2010-Dashlee feels :3 There will be more times when he triggers her memory but the others will too :) Glad you like my twists and turns!**

 **Serena Sterling-In the first couple lines, I thought I was going to be lectured for making her lose her memory :P 'Spellbinding' was my favourite this time :) She's injuired so she's throwing up blood, from crashing into the rocks while at sea and washing up on the beach. You'll learn more about Gerard later too! You're welcome :)**

 **Julia N SnowMiko-She's still a werejaguar she's just exhausted and confused and hurt from being lost at sea and washing up on the beach :) She doesn't remember she's a werejaguar at the moment though. There will be flashbacks of her past wither her old pack! And a little suprise later on too ;)**

 **Bree-Gerard did do some things to her, test wise, but that's all i'm giving away right now :P**

 **Tesla424-Oh, i'll miss your lovely reviews! Family feels, right? :3 And stupid Gerard, damn him!**

 **Revenger Tigger-OMG! I was updating when the new review pooped up haha! Here you go and thanks!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Hey" I wake up to someone shaking me lightly. I open my eyes, rubbing them. I look up, seeing a pretty teenaged girl with long blonde curls kneeling beside me. I sit up, a little cautious of who _this_ stranger is. "It's me, Erica, remember?" she asks.

"Um..no" I shake my head. "I'm sorry"

"No, it's okay" she says with a warm smile. "It'll come to you. I'm the kickass one out of the 3 of us" she grins. I chuckle.

"The 3 of you?" I ask.

"Yeah, me, Boyd and Isaac" she says.

"Are they your brothers?" I ask her. Erica looks at me, studying for a few seconds.

"No..we're all kind of family, all of us" she answers. "That one's Isaac and that one's Boyd" she says, pointing them out to me. Isaac's the tall male with curly blonde hair and bue eyes. Boyd's the tall, well-built brown male with brown hair and brown eyes. They look nice enough.

"They look nice" I say with a small smile. Derek comes over with another bottle of water.

"Thirsty?" he asks, holding it out to me.

"Yeah, thanks" I smile, taking it. Erica looks between us before standing up.

"I should go" she says. "I'm glad you're okay Ash" she says to me, giving me a geniune smile. I smile at her and she walks over to the guys she pointed out to me. They say something to her and she nods. Both look at me and I look at the ground, feeling a little awkward.

"Feeling better this morning?" Derek asks. I pull myself to my feet, climbing up onto a high stump and sitting on it cross-legged. Derek smiles at me like strange things are my speciality.

"Yeah, my memory's still messed up but I feel a hell of alot better than I did when I woke up yesturday" I tell him.

"That's good to hear" he says. "Your memory coming along anymore than yesturday?" he asks me.

"Sadly..no" I say, shaking my head.

"Okay. I wanna try something" he says, coming to stand in front of me. "Give me your hand" he says, holding his out. I look down at it. "It's okay" he says, seeing my hesitation. I cautiously reach out and take it with my own. He threads his fingers through mine, locking eyes with me. I feel that head rush come on and soon there's images flashing in my mind again.

 _"You sure you wanna do this?" I ask. There's sand, water. I see my car, I see a cave and grass._

 _"Are you?" Derek asks me._

 _"Honestly, I have no idea" I chuckle nervously. He holds his hand out to me. I take it and I feel safe._

 _Then everything changes, it's dark, my vision's fuzzy. I feel pain, especially in my side. It's hazzy but there's somthing sticking out of my friggin' body. It's so painful, i'm in so much pain._

 _"I have to take it out, i'm sorry" Derek says from beside me. "Here" he says, taking my hand. I see black snake up his arm and I feel some off that pain dispell._

When I come out of this flashback, whatever it is, me getting my memory back..it's slow. The images fade away until i'm just staring back at those warmly-familiar green orbs. I look down at his arm. I reach out and softly trace my fingers along his forearm. He looks confused but let's me do it. I don't know what compells me to do it but I reach up and touch his cheek.

 _An image of hair sprouting from them flashes in my eyes._

I frown in confusion.

 _I see the flash of glowing red eyes replacing his green ones._

I pull away from him, eyes narrowed.

"Ash?" I turn to see Scott.

 _Then there's a flash of glowing yellow eyes replacing his brown ones, his ears pointed and fangs poking out from his lips._

"What are the hell are you?" I ask them, jumping down from the stump. They share a look.

"Listen, just relax, I can explain" Scott says, approaching me. The others start walking over to and it's although I can see their true faces. Glowing eyes, claws, hair, fangs..what the hell? I grab Tyler, one of the few that still look human. I hold him close to me.

"Stay away from me" I warn them. "You especially" I say, looking at Derek. I start backing away, holding my little brother. Weither I remember him being my little brother of not, he's still a human child. I don't know what these _things_ are but i'm taking this child away from them.

"You can't leave" Derek says. "Just let us explain"

"Ash, wait" Scott says. I shake my head.

"I don't know what you are, but i'm leaving" I say, holding Tyler close to me.

"No, you can't-" Scott tries to reach for me. I don't know what happens next. I feel something buried deep within me rip out to the surface. An incredible rage fuels though me and an animal roar comes out of my mouth, my vision becoming red. They all look at me with wide eyes. I panic, why the hell am I seeing red? I struggled yelp leaves my mouth when my fingernails aren't fingernails, I have..I have..claws. "Ash..it's okay. We we're gonna tell you about all this, we just wanted to give you time to settle and maybe remember something"

"What the hell is going on?" I ask, panic coming over me.

"Just hold on and-"

"I want the truth right _now_ " I cut off his next excuse. Derek and Scott look at each other. "Don't do that" I say, both looking back at me. "Don't do the whole 'silent conversation' thing. You're my brother and you're my..boytoy or something" both males screw their faces up at my choice of word. "So one of you is going to tell me the truth or.." I trail off, not knowing where i'm going with this threat. I bring up a clawed hand. "I'm gonna kill you both"

"Well, she's still the same Ash" Derek says.

"Okay. We'll tell you everything" Scott sighs. "I need you to hand Tyler to Stiles though. This is Stiles, he's like our brother" Scott says, pointing out another male, moles dotting his skin softly.

"Can I trust him?" I ask Scott.

"You can, I swear. You'll remember it all in time, you'll see it" he says. I nod. I cautiously walk over to this Stiles man. I look down at Tyler.

"It's okay Ash" he smiles. I return his adorable little smile, handing him over to Stiles.

"Now" I say, turning back to the two of the, apparently, important males in my life. "One of you, start talking"

"Can you guys..?" Scott says, hinting for the others to go. They all leave the area and I frown a little. They're acting like what they're going to tell me is really bad or something. I get something's _very_ wrong here but..that reaction and obedience made it seem worse. Scott and Derek walk up to me. "Okay. I'm gonna start from when I was turned" Scott says. I nod, ready to listen.

..

"I'm a what?!" I ask angerily, pacing a little. "Really? After whatever crap I just went through, after losing my friggin' memory, you give me that bullshit!?" I yell.

"Okay, you need to calm down" Scott says.

"Yeah, we both know not to say that to her" Derek says, cringing a little.

"I ask for the truth and you tell me i'm a w-" I say, grabbing Scott's arm.

 _"No!" I yell as I watch Scott, glowing eyes and fangs, fall to the ground, shot. I panic and I smell something I don't know but something deep inside of me knows it's wolfsbane. I feel panic inside of me as I see my brother hurt. There's flashes of fangs, gunshots and flashing lights in the dark. We're in an old house, burns charred into the wood. I catch a glimpse of myself in a broken mirror. My eyes glow green, fangs of my own sticking out past my lips._

 _"I have to know I did this" Derek says. Then his lips are on mine and we're all but making out in a house surrounded with gunfire. "Are you ready?" he asks once we've pulled back. I'm suprised to see myself grab the man, kissing the crap out of him again._

 _"Yeah, i'm ready" I tell him. He kisses me once more before we're leaving the house. There's loud noises and bright lights before I slip into darkness._

I come out of it, my hand slipping from Scott's arm and back to my side.

"What..what happened in that house?" I ask, my voice losing all it's anger.

"What house?" Scott asks me. I furrow my eyebrows.

"The-the house..and you got shot" I say, looking at Scott. "You were there" I say, looking at Derek. "And I was.." my frown deepens. I look between the two males. "You weren't kidding about me, about you two and them, 'the pack'..were you?" I ask them.

"You saw it?" Derek asks me.

"I saw Scott, and i've seen your true faces..and I saw me. And I wasn't human" I say. I let out a deep breath, leaning againist a tree.

"So..are you okay?" Scott asks me.

"I'm a cat, what do you think?" I say with an exhausted sigh. What the hell is going on here?

"We're dogs" Derek shrugs. I give him a small smile at his attempt to make me feel better. "Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see. It's not so bad. You're strong like this"

"But i'm a _cat_ " I emphasize. They look a little confused. "I'm not human, i'm a friggin' cat. A cat. Seriously?" I panic. "I don't remember anything but at least I can turn into some half-human, half-jungle cat thing" I say sarcastically with a nervous chuckle.

"Don't panic, we'll figure this out" Scott says.

"How?" I ask him.

"Maybe we should try to get some of your memory back?" Scott suggests. "When you grabbed me, you saw something, right?" he asks me.

"Yeah" I nod, letting out a breath. "And when I grabbed him too" I say, nodding to Derek.

"Maybe skin to skin contact helps your jaguar, you know..remember stuff?" he says, trying to convince himself of the logic as well.

"It could" Derek nods. We both look at him for an explanation. "We use physical contact to comfort and heal so I don't see why it couldn't work" he says.

"Okay" Scott nods. "Why don't we try then?" Scott asks.

"Um.." I say.

"We _just_ try. If you don't want to do it anymore, we'll stop" he says to me. "You have my word"

"I don't know.. What am I gonna see?" I ask them.

"It depends" Scott says. "I don't know exactly what you've been through with everyone so I can't tell you, i'm sorry. You'll see your life, I guess"

"And what's that like?" I ask him. Derek and Scott another look. "That's a real confidence booster, thanks guys" I sigh.

"Okay, no. Not all of it is pretty..but you're happy, well you were happy. I can't tell you exactly, but we can _show_ you" I think it over.

"Okay" I nod, still unsure. "But one at a time..and not with everyone around" I say. "Those are my conditions"

"Okay" Derek nods. "Who first?" he asks.

"Um.." I say. "Can I see Tyler first? He's my brother so.."

"Of course" Derek says. He leaves to get Tyler while Scott stays with me.

"You're gonna be okay Ash, I promise" Scott says to me. "I'm sorry all this happened to you, maybe if I-"

"Don't do that" I stop him. "Don't blame yourself. If there's one thing i'm gathering from these flashbacks, it's that i'm stubborn and I only listen to myself. It wasn't your fault, it probably wasn't even mine, so don't blame yourself" I say. He smiles a little. Derek comes back over, holding Tyler.

"Does she remember me?" he asks Derek.

"Not yet, but she will in a minute" Derek says. He puts Tyler on his feet in front of me. Derek nods to Tyler and the young male holds his hand out to me. I look at Scott and Derek, still skeptical. "It's okay Ash, go ahead" Derek nods. I slowly reach out, cautiously taking the much younger male's hand.

 _"Ashy, don't go!" I hear a much younger Tyler yell as he cries. I see Scott too, he's just as upset. There's a man and a woman, they're fighting, arguing and yelling. My parents. My face hurts. Images of the man, my father, hitting me. Their yells blur together, everything being sucked into it._

 _"Can we make a sandcastle?" I hear. Laughter fills my head. I see sand and water. I see Derek and Tyler. Tyler's the one laughing, I think it's a little bit of me too. Derek's smiling, he's playing in the sand with Tyler._

I come out of it, looking down at Tyler. I crotch down in front of him, still holding his hand.

"I remember you Tyler" I smile at him. He smiles back before coming forward and hugging me tightly. I hug him back, biting back tears. I saw _that_ night, the night I took off and left my family behind. He pulls back and I blink away my tears. "Go back with Derek, i'll come check on you soon" I say, slipping into that protective role once again. He nods, going over to Derek. I stand back up, wiping my eyes.

"Ash, you okay?" Scott asks. I nod, forcing a smile. "Bring Stiles" Scott says to Derek. He looks at me worriedly before leaving to do as asked. Scott turns back to me once Derek's gone. "You saw that night, didn't you?" he asks. I nod. "Ash, we got past that. I promise you, we figured it out and we got past it"

"How could we?" I ask him, eyes glassey. "I saw you and I saw Tyler. I saw our parents..and I watched myself walk away like the selfish b-"

"No, stop that right now" he says. I take a deep breath, trying to stop myself from crying. "Give it some time, you're gonna see that we talked about it and we got past it, I promise" Scott says. I nod, giving him a smile. I wipe my eyes. "I understand that you're scared, but everything's gonna be fine"

"Okay" I nod. Derek comes over with Stiles, and same deal. I take his hand.

 _"Stiles, get behind me" I tell Stiles. He does as asked. We're in a white room, bright lights._

 _"You must be Ashlee" someone says from my side but I can't see their face. I just see red eyes. I see my eyes become green as I 'shift' into a 'cat'._

 _"Stiles, run" I tell him. There's the sound of glass smashing, then flashing images of claws and fangs, blood, Derek's even here too. The last thing I see is Stiles dragging me out of harm's way._

I meet Stiles' eyes.

"You saved me" I say. "From..something. I don't know. We were in a..a hospital, I think" he nods. "Wait.." I say, feeling that rush again. Stiles steadies me when I stumble.

 _I see a school. It's dark. There's me, Scott, Stiles and Derek. It's hazzy this one. I see fangs and claws again, like the ones at the hospital. Red eyes. Roaring. I see Derek's body laying lifeless on the ground. Then i'm flying into the woods, the trees blurring. I'm angry and upset. I'm attacked by those same fangs and claws. And then black._

"And the school. We were all at the school" I say. "I see..something. Sort of like the thing from the hospital..but not the same" I say, confused. "Okay, who's next?" I ask.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Derek asks me. I nod.

"I think..I think it's all starting to link up. I don't want to stop now" I tell him. Derek nods and looks to Scott.

"Allison" Scott tells him. Stiles follows Derek back to the camp. Soon, a brown-haired girl is standing before me with her hand out. "This is my girlfriend, Allison" Scott tells me. I nod and take her hand.

 _I see this girl, Allison. I see her with a blonde woman. But the vision changes and I see the same woman in a dark room. She's..she's hurting me._

 _"Even more fight than Derek" the blonde woman smirks._

 _"Where is he?!" I yell. Everything's dark and there's a gunshot. I see Derek on the ground, dead. This woman stands before Scott and I with a gun. I see those claws and fangs and red eyes I keep seeing. But it's too fast. There's growls and animal roars. I see flashes of blue and yellow eyes. I see those oddly familiar claws tear open the blonde woman's throat as Allison and I watch. I hear things breaking. Allison holds a bow. A car horn and blearing headlights. Then fire. So much fire, and heat._

 _"No, you said-" I say._

 _"I'm sorry" Derek says to me. There's a slash of flesh, the smell of fresh blood filling the air. "I'm the alpha now" Derek says, his now red eyes looking at us._

I look down at the ground, my eyebrows furrowed as I let Allison's hand go.

"That's..that's enough for now" I say, walking away from them. They frown in confusion but I ignore them. I go and sit in the sand by the water's edge. I'm grateful when they don't try to stop me. Allison was with the woman who was hurting me and shot Derek? But then she watched as that same woman was murdered? Who was the alpha that Derek killed to become the alpha? I play with the sand, looking down at it. These flashbacks were starting to come together but now they're just confusing me. And..they're kind of scaring me. What the hell happened to me before I lost my memory? What kind of life did I have?

..

..

 **Uh-oh, she's remembering Peter and Kate! Favourite, follow and review!**


	31. Satan In A V-Neck

**Shout out to;**

 **vtennis2010-It would suck! Gerard is definitely evil :)**

 **Bree-The worst things to remember :P She's going to remember much more this chapter though ;)**

 **Julia N SnowMiko-I don't think i'm going to have her get all upset about the Derek/Peter thing again like when it happened but it will have repercussions of course :)**

 **Serena Sterling-Yeah, i'm not dragging out the memory loss for too long, Gerard's plans and 'grand scheme' will be revealed not that far away! And I have something good planned for Gerard too ;)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"It's hard for you, isn't it?" I look to the side of me, seeing an older man. He's got this wicked smirk and he wears a v-neck. "May I?" he asks, motioning to the spot beside me. I nod, watching him carefully. He sits down beside me.

"Which one are you?" I ask him.

"Peter" he says, holding his hand out. "I'm Derek's Uncle" I look down at his hand, my jaguar or whatever is feeling a little more cautious towards this stranger. I'm still adjusting to having an 'inner animal'. She seems to make decisions and has opinions even before I do but she goes off instinct, protectiveness and possessiveness..it's different. "It's about time they showed you the truth" he says, nodding to his hand. "You deserve the truth" I look at it again. I do want the truth..even if it is scary. I need to know who I was, what I was like. I meet the older man's eyes, reaching out for his hand.

"No! Peter, stop!" I hear Derek yell. Scott and Derek run towards us and that just compells me to take his hand before they make it over here.

 _I see those fangs and claws, those angry, rage-filled red eyes. The alpha. I'm in the woods again, and the thing that attacked me is the alpha. The things that hurt Derek at the school's the alpha too. Then we're at that house again. It's moving so quickly my eyes can barely keep up. The heat, the fire, it's consumming the alpha. I see it's body fall into the leaves and Derek's leaving my side again. He claws it's throat out, but it's not longer an animal, it's a human. His blood leaks into the leaves. Then it backtracks and we're in the house. Allison's beside me, tears down her face. I see the blonde woman fall to the ground, her throat clawed out. But this time, I see the alpha. I see his face, his human face._

 _"I don't know about you Allison but that apology didn't sound very sincere" Peter says, looking at Allison, blood dripping from his claws._

I snap out of it, quickly scrambling away from the man. I see Derek bare his fangs and growl at Peter angerily in scowling.

"Ash, are you okay?" Scott asks coming to my side. I pull away from him when he tries to help me up. I stand up by myself. Flashes of us in that house, Peter attacking us, fly through my mind. What the hell happened that night?

"I..I need to be alone" I say, backing away from them.

"Ash, please wait" Scott says, grabbing my hand.

 _"You don't know why you walked on on your family?!" Scott yells angerily._

 _"Don't walk away from me!" Scott yells as I run._

I pull away from Scott. I turn on my heel, taking off as fast as I possibly can. And hell, when I say fast, I mean _fast_. I have no idea where I am. There's trees and sand. Then more trees and sand. I go deep into the jungle, fighting my way through vines and leafed-branches. I get dizzy, images and voices flashing and invading my head.

 _"Who's Cora?" I ask Derek._

 _"She was my little sister..she'd be Scott's age" he sighs. I see fire. I see that house. I see the charred wood. Then Peter again, then the blonde woman. I see Peter ripping her neck open with his claws._

 _/_

 _"I just needed you" I say, looking at Derek with tear-filled eyes._

 _"Well i'm here now, okay?" he says, meeting my eyes._

 _/_

 _"I'm just happy Ty. I missed you so much" I tell my little brother._

 _"I missed you too. You weren't here when I came last year. Where were you?" Tyler asks me. Then my eyes are drowned in my own tears, emotion rolling through me like an ocean wave._

 _/_

 _"Derek?!" I panic, shaking the bleeding, unconcious man sitting on my bed._

 _/_

 _Derek takes the phone from my hand._

 _"Ash is a little busy right now, with me. Stop calling her or i'm gonna kill you, got it?" Derek tells James. I smile to myself, resting my chin on his chest as we lay in my bed together._

 _/_

 _"What's all this?" Scott asks, walking into the garage._

 _"I've finally got my hands on some original pistons for my engine to replace those diamond heads" I tell him, smiling down at my Boss 429 engine, Scott at my side._

 _/_

 _"You take my brother and get him as far away as you can, got it?" I order Jackson, baring my fangs to him as a threat. He grabs Scott who's shot with wolfsbane and they take the back entrance out of the house._

 _/_

 _"Derek, get out!" I yell at Derek through my tears._

 _/_

 _"Why are you stressing?" Derek asks._

 _"I'm not" I say._

 _"You're biting your lip" he points out. That's my tell. "You think something's gonna go wrong, don't you?" he asks._

 _"I think people I love are gonna get hurt. And i'm not okay with that, not at all" I sigh._

 _/_

 _"At the last place we stopped..I found something, in the woods" Derek tells us all._

 _"A woman. She uh..she was sick" he says._

 _/_

 _"What exactly are you asking me Derek?" I ask him._

 _"I'm asking if you'll help me lead them" he says._

 _/_

 _"TYLER, GET INSIDE!" I yell, panic flooding through me as I see my brother come outside where these vicious things are._

I come out of it, becoming so dizzy, I pass out.

..

This time when I wake up, I don't open my eyes. I don't know what i'm going to see. I don't know if I want to see anymore. The flashbacks from earlier are still fresh in my mind. I've had this whole other life since moving back to Beacon Hills. I have a whole other pack now. I don't remember much of my past before returning home and bumping into Derek but I know that, in time, that'll come back too. I don't know if I want that to come back though. I see myself happy in those flashbacks. Yeah, it has it's moments, like all the stuff with Peter and the blonde woman but I look genuinely happy. And if my life before coming back was any good then why did I leave it? So i'm frightened of what I might see if I look back far enough. And I don't think it's wrong for me to feel that way.

"Ash" I hear Scott's voice. I just shake my head, keeping my eyes shut. "Ash, come on. We need to talk"

"I saw alot, you know?" I say. "I think the girl you remember is alot different to the girl that i've become"

"That's where you're wrong" he says. "You're still the same girl. You're still stubborn as all hell which you're showing right now. You still trust Derek and I even if you don't think you do. And you're still overprotective of Tyler like you always have been" he says. I take a deep breath, opening my eyes. Palm trees sway softly in the breeze, bright blue skies cutting between the fronds. How long was I out for? I turn my head, finding Scott sitting at my side, Derek and the rest of the pack not too far away.

"You say I can trust you?" I ask him, sitting up. My head still hurts and I feel dehydrated but I ignore it.

"You can" Scott assures me.

"Then tell me what happened. Everything about everything. What happened that night at that house with Peter and the blonde woman? Why was Allison there? Why did Derek kill his Uncle and what did that have to do with me?" I ask. The others watch on nervously. I notice Peter's not around.

"I can't just tell you" Scott says.

"Why not?" I ask him.

"It's alot, okay? And some of it is gonna hurt you..I don't want to see that"

"That's not your choice" I say. "I get that your my brother and you wanna keep me safe from whatever happened. But I have a right to know. And if you don't tell me, i'm gonna find out eventually. And if it is bad and I find out in a week or a year, how do you think i'm gonna feel then?" I ask him. Scott sighs. "I need to know Scott. From what i've seen, we've been through alot. And we're still together so I don't think the truth is gonna change that"

"Okay" he nods reluctantly. "But I can't be the one to tell you" he turns to Derek. "Derek..can you?" Derek furrows his eyebrows, obviously not happy that Scott's pinned this responsibility on him.

"Please Derek?" I ask him. He looks at me, looking less and less willing. "Come on, there's gotta be enough between us that you'd want to help me out here because we both know I need to know" I say. "I can't be the person you're..with or whatever if I don't even know about myself. I need to see it, all of it" he looks down with a sigh.

"Can we just..I don't know, let you finish seeing things through the rest of the pack?" he asks me. It's obvious he's reluctant to talk me through everything as well. "Maybe things will link up and we won't have to talk it through" he suggests. I look at Scott.

"He's right, we should try" Scott nods.

"Okay" I nod. Scott's right, I know deep down that I trust him and Derek so i'm agreeing.

"Who next then?" Derek asks Scott. I don't give Scott the time to answer.

"I want to see Peter again" I say. Both males look at me, outraged. The pack back away, leaving us alone. "Maybe I freaked out at what I saw but he was the only one that was letting me see the real truth, showing me what happened" I say, looking between them.

"That's all I wanted to do" comes Peter's voice. Derek and Scott turn around. He walks out from the jungle, stepping onto the sand in front of us.

"Back off" Derek growls.

"No, let him come to me" I say to Derek. Derek frowns. "Please" he looks torn but eventually moves so Peter can walk over to me. Derek has to grab Scott when he lunges forward as Peter sits in front of me.

"Watch him. I'm going to check on Tyler" Scott tells Derek, walking away. Derek nods, watching Scott walk off before turning to Peter and I. Scott's not happy with my choice. Not at all.

"Shall we?" Peter asks, holding his hand out.

"Wait" I say. "Derek, I need you as well" I say to the male.

"What?" he asks.

"I need both of you, help me?" I ask. Derek nods, coming to sit beside me instead of Peter. "I'm hoping i'll see things with both of you, not just memories of the two of us. I need to know what happened that night and you two can tell me, I know it. So show me" I say, looking between them. I hold both my hands out to them. Both take them, Derek more tighter and purposely than Peter. Derek's other hand to come my leg, like he's showing us he's here for me and not Peter. I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling the rush coming on.

 _"You think I killed Laura on purpose? My own family?" Peter asks Derek. The background changes, we're no longer in the hospital, we're in a room. But it's not me and them, it's me and Scott._

 _"Scott..what happened to Derek's sister?" I ask my brother._

 _"Not long before you came home..the night I was bitten, Stiles and I found a body. A girl, cut in half. There was a misunderstanding and we thought Derek had killed her. He was arrested and put in their holding cells because of Stiles and I digging her up and jumping to conclusions. Turns out-"_

 _"It was his sister" I realise._

 _"His older sister, Laura Hale. She was the sister that was at school with Derek the day of the fire. She was able to transform into a full wolf. Derek thinks the hunters killed her..he's looking for revenge for her as well as his family" Scott tells me. But the hunters didn't kill Laura..Peter did. I just saw him admit it to Derek. Then my vision falters and it's dark. My body aches as I lean againist a wall in a dark, cold, lurking place. I can hear Scott and Derek in another room, my hearing's picking up their conversation, more an arguement._

 _"My boss told me 3 months ago someone came into the clinic asking for a copy of this picture. Do you wanna know who it was? Peter's nurse. They brought your sister here so that Peter could kill her and become the Alpha, and that's why you're going to help me" Scott says. I can feel Derek's anger, I can feel how upset this new news makes him. Then everything changes again and i'm sitting in the leaves, looking down the barrel of a gun being held by the blonde woman._

 _"Kate!" a voice yells. He has a gun too. "I know what you did"_

 _"I did what I was told to do" the blonde, Kate, says._

 _"Noone asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house, ones that were human" the man says. This blonde, whoever this Kate monster is, the one that tied me up and shocked me, the one that shot Derek, she's the one that killed Derek's family? I see the replay of Peter ripping her throat out and it makes sense now. Everything he did, he did it for revenge for himself and his family. He was crazy with power though, he ruthlessly killed his niece for her alpha status because he wanted revenge so badly._

 _"Peter killed my sister, he murdered her! He ripped her in half!" I hear Derek's voice yell in the distance._

 _"I'm sorry" Derek says, looking down at me as he stands up. Now i'm somewhere else, outside that familiar burnt shell of a once beautiful home._

 _"You promised me. If you do this, there's no way out for him. Derek, don't" I plead._

 _"I can't. He killed Laura" Derek says. Scott pleads for him not to do it. I plead for Derek not to do it because otherwise, Scott doesn't get his cure and the hunters come after him. But then I see the flashback i've already seen, the one where Derek slashes a burnt Peter's throat. "I'm the alpha now" Derek says, looking at us with glowing red eyes. I feel that same wave of emotions roll through me. Then I see myself screaming at Derek to get out of my room again. I see myself shoving Derek away from me in the woods. I see myself cry over the loss of Scott's only chance to be human. I see why I was so upset with Derek. Then I see woods, a long dirt road and all of us in cars._

 _"I wasn't always the way I am. I had a family too once" Peter says, crotched down in front of me on the ground. "I'm here for Derek"_

 _"Well he's here for us" I say,_

 _"Then so am I" Peter says._

 _"If you're with us, you help us fight, you help protect the others. I appreciate you came all this way to let us know what's happening, I do, I really do. But that doesn't change the past" I tell the older wolf._

 _"I know that. And i'll make it up to you, all of you" Peter assures me. I see flashes of the past with Peter being the alpha, killing Kate and everything. It all comes together. He's with us, he came to us to redem himself and make up for the bad things he did in order to get revenge for his family. I see those red eyes. But then the flashing of images stops but I still see those infamous red Hale eyes. Except they're not on Peter or Derek. There's a girl. She's older than I am. Her brown hair reaches her lower back._

 _"I can take you away from here" she says to me, her voice not in any way threatening like my own alpha's. I look around. I was supposed to be hunting when I was approached by this girl. She's an alpha, her eyes shine red just like Peter's did. "Puedo llevarte lejos de aqui" she says the same thing but in Spanish. My alpha speaks in Spanish so I felt more comfortable to answer her once she spoke in Spanish._

 _"Quiero irme. Pero necesito los otros a vnir, asi" I say, 'I want to leave. But I need the others to come as well'._

 _"Ashlee, soy Laura. Podemos ir. Podemos salir de este momento y que nunca tendriamos que vivir a traves de los ataques de su alfa se nuevo" she says, 'Ashlee, i'm Laura. We can go. We can leave right now and you would never have to live through your alpha's attacks again'. She looks at my shirt, where it's torn and i'm bleeding from the 4 claws marks along my hip which my alpha put there as punishment. I look down at them too, swallowing sadly._

 _"Betas regresan ahora!" I hear my alpha yell, 'Betas return now!'._

 _"Ven conmigo" the girl pleads, 'Come with me'. I shake my head. I want to leave but i'm scared of what would happen to the other betas if I did._

 _"No puedo lo siento" I say, 'I can't, i'm sorry'. I make to leave when I feel something stab into the back of my neck. Her claws. I try to fight but she's much stronger._

 _"Esto es para su propio bien. Usted no va a recordar esto ocurriera alguna vez" she whispers to me, 'This is for your own good. You won't remember this ever happening'. The last thing I see before blacking out is the triskele tattooed on her wrist._

I come out of it, gasping for breath. I'm squeezing both males hands tightly.

"Ash? Ash, what's wrong?" Derek asks urgently. I see a flash of an image in my mind. It's Derek, he's taking off his shirt, a triskele tattooed on the middle of his back. Just like Laura's. Derek..Laura.. I'm trying to put the pieces together, it's all there, but i'm so dizzy. "Ash?" I let both of their hands go. "What did you see?" he asks. I'm still catching my breath. "Ashlee?!" Derek asks, worriedly, taking my face into his hands.

"Ashlee, come on" Peter says, looking worried too. "Snap out of it"

"The alpha.." I say, feeling dizzy and weak. The back of my neck hurts just like it did when that girl stabbed me with her claws.

"Peter?" Derek asks me. I shake my head, cringing in pain, the pain in the back of my neck getting worse.

"No..the-the girl" I say. I try to make the words but it's like my tongue and mouth refuse to cooperate. Derek looks at me, confused. I reach behind my head, touching my fingers to my neck. I bring them back, looking at them. Blood, my blood. Derek frowns in worry, moving to look at the wounds.

"Ashlee, what happened? What did you see?" he asks me, getting really worried. I try to tell him but I just feel powerless, like I did with that girl. "Scott!" Derek yells out to him. Scott runs over, my eyes are glazed over as I slip into flashbacks again.

 _I roar in pain, my alpha slashing along my hip._

I open my eyes again, my hip now hurting too.

"Ash? Come on, come back" Scott says, now the one holding me. I panic, getting my hands free to reach down to my hip frantcally. There's no blood. I run my fingers over all that remains..the jaggered scars.

 _I see a flash of red eyes quickly disappear outside our nest. We're being watched, but i'm in too much pain to speak up about it._

"She-she was there" I say.

"Who was there?" Derek asks me, all 3 males looking very distressed and worried.

"La..the-the alpha. She tried to..tried to help me" I tell him.

"Who Ash? Who was the alpha?" Scott asks me. The dizziness in my head gets worse. Having these flashbacks always takes alot out of me. All that plus the fact i've eaten and drunken next to nothing since I woke up on this island. "Who did you see?"

"L..Laura" I manage to say before slipping into that forced darkness for, what feels like, the millionth time.

..

..

 **You guys said you wanted to learn more about her past and old pack! Well..Laura's a part of it but she stole the memory from Ashlee to keep herself and Ashlee safe! :O The reason Ash was able to see the memory Laura stole was because she techincally lost herself when she lost** _ **all**_ **her memories so as it** _ **all**_ **comes back, those memories will too. So Ash is getting her memory back now! Yay! Favourite, follow and review!**


	32. Unlocking The Past

**Glad you guys liked my little twist with Laura :) And I forgot! On the 17th just passed, it was my 1 year anniversary of starting my very first fic :,) How time passes :3 Also! This fic is now offically my most successful, the most reviews i've ever gotten! And the favourite and follow count isn't far behind! Thank you all so, so much for the support! I love you guys and I really hope to keep you as in love with this fic as I am :) In a non-weird way of course! Thank you a million times!**

 **Shout out to;**

 **Julia N SnowMiko-Glad you did :)**

 **Serena Sterling-So Ash only met Laura briefly and she had the memory stolen from her anyway so that's why she didn't know of Derek or the other Hales. She doesn't even realise that same Laura was Derek's sister yet. Those words as usual 3 Awesomeness!**

 **vtennis2010-I'm glad it was a shock factor! You will learn more about her old pack this chapter and in more chapters to come :) I hope to keep this story going for awhile too! I have a few more suprises up my sleeve ;) Quite a few ideas too :P**

 **AlphaWolf19-Yes :) More Resident Evil-ness to come! I wish we got to learn more about Laura and Cora as well, I really wish we got some Cora/Derek family fluff too :( I feel like that was far too downplayed in the programme. They thought each other were dead for 6 years for christ's sake! Give them some fluff! That's fine, I haven't had teeth taken out before but I hope you make a quick recovery and it doesn't hurt too much :)**

 **Bree-No, Laura wasn't her alpha but.. You will learn who her alpha was in the near future ;)**

 **Tesla424-Yay! Because you do is this chapter :D**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

"Who was there?" I ask Ash. She's freaking out. She's shaking, she's pale, her neck's bleeding.

"La..the-the alpha. She tried to..tried to help me" Ash tells us, looking like she's in pain.

"Who Ash? Who was the alpha? Who did you see?" Scott asks her.

"L..Laura" she mumbles before fallimg limp and passing out again. Scott catches her, checking her pulse. I can't move, i'm frozen. Laura as in..as in my sister Laura? Laura was the alpha before Peter stole that from her. I look at Peter, finding he looks as shocked as I do.

"We're not doing that again" Scott says, lifting his sister up. "I need a bed, something to eat and drink, a gauze for her neck and keep the pack away from her for now" he says, looking at me more than Peter for help. I nod, getting to my feet. "Derek" he says, making me stop and turn back to him. "Do you think.. Do you think she saw your sister?" he asks me.

"I don't know" I answer honestly. "I think so" Scott nods, looking down at the unconcious girl. She's been pushing herself far too hard to remember, we've only helped push her. She suffered severe memory loss, we should be nursing her back to health not making it worse and confusing her even more.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

 _"Respondeme!" my alpha yells at another beta, 'Answer me!'. I look between my alpha and the werefox beta, Crystal. She's barely 16. She doesn't speak Spanish. I used to be the same, but I taught myself. Crystal opens her mouth but doesn't know what to say. I cringe when my alpha cuts along her cheek with a claw, barking the same command at her. She's almost in tears. I can't watch this anymore._

 _"He wants an answer to why you didn't bring anything home from your hunt last night" I say to the girl. We hunt every night, well the betas do. She looks at me with wide eyes. You're not allowed to speak out like I just did. I know it's going to have consequences but I can't watch him hurt her anymore. She's an innocent kid, she didn't ask to be bitten just like I didn't. Our alpha stole the human life from us. It's not fair for him to abuse her._

 _"Te atrevas a hablar?" my alpha asks me, 'You dare speak out?'._

 _"Que no te entiende. Ella no puede responder si ella no entiende" I say, 'She doesn't understand you. She can't answer if she doesn't understand'. I see anger wash over my alpha's face. I don't know where the sudden courage came from, to speak up like that, but I don't care. I'd rather take the punishment than have this young girl take it. So when my alpha told me to stand up, I stood up. I knew it was a challenge. And I didn't care. I tried to fight him, and I was keeping up for awhile. I knew my strength suprised him, I could feel it. But I couldn't overcome him. I kept up though. Up until I felt his claws meet my flesh. I roar in pain, his 4 sharp claws ripping the skin open along my hip._

My eyes fly open and i'm shaking. I sit up, instantly reaching for my hip. I lift my shirt up, checking it again. I swear it's bleeding, blood everywhere. I start hyperventilating, trying to stop the bleeding. But when I blink, there's nothing. No blood. It's just a bunch of old scars now.

"Ash? Hey..it's okay. Look at me, look at me" Scott says, sitting beside me. I look up at him. "It's okay, calm down. We're not doing that to you again, okay? I'm sorry, but please try to calm down" he says. I nod, taking deep breaths. "Ash..can you move your hands?" Scott asks me. I look down, seeing i'm grasping my hip tightly. I move my hands away slowly. "Look, they're just scars, you're okay" he says softly.

"I-I know" I say. "Scott..I-I remember what happened before I came back" I say. "I remember my pack and my alpha. And I remember the girl that tried to help me"

"Her name was Laura, right?" Scott asks me. I nod. He moves closer to me, taking my hands in his softly. "You saw what happened with Peter and Derek and Kate too?" I nod again. "Do you remember why Peter did what he did and what he had to do to become the alpha?"

"Yes" I nod. "For his family..he-he killed Derek's sister" I say, remembering. It feels goods to be able to remember things, to be able to piece things together like this. I don't feel so lost and confused.

"Okay" he nods. "Do you remember Derek's sister's name?" he asks me.

"Yeah. Laura Hale" I say. I pause. The pieces were right there, and now they're together and I can see what I was desperately trying to put together last night. "She was the alpha" I realise. "Do you think she..she was the one that tried to help me?" I ask Scott, looking in his eyes.

"I don't know" Scott says. "But when you're ready, you can talk to Derek"

"I'm ready now" I assure him.

"No, Ash. This is the 3rd time you've passed out. You need to eat and drink some water. Please, I can't keep watching you do this" Scott pleads.

"I won't do anything. I just need to know if it is her, please Scott" I say. He thinks it over, sighing and nodding. I watch him get up and leave. Derek's soon coming over. He hugs me which suprises me a little but I hug him back, the action feeling right.

"Please stop doing that" he sighs, resting his forehead againist mine.

"I'm okay now" I tell him. "But we need to talk" he sees i'm serious and sits down where Scott was. "Derek..what did your sister look like?" I ask him. The wolf tenses up at the question and for a second, I don't think he's going to answer me.

"I know..what you saw, what you remembered" he says. "Um..she had long brown hair. She had blue eyes..alpha red when she shifted" he tells me. I frown when I feel saddness come from the male. I rub his arm, too scared touch his bare hand in case it triggers another flashback. He gives me a sad smile.

"A tattoo?" I ask. "A triskele, like your's..on her wrist?" I ask. He nods sadly and I lean forward, bringing our foreheads back together. I don't wipe my eyes when they fill with tears. "She..she tried to help me get away from my pack" I tell him. "I wouldn't have had the strength to walk away from them without her reaching out" I say, my tears falling. Derek hugs me again. But I don't hesitate this time. I hug him back tightly, moving to sit in his lap. He rocks me softly, letting me cry. This whole time, I didn't think I knew this girl. It turns out, she saved my life. She just stole the memory from me for protection. If she hadn't have reached out and showed me people cared and not all alphas were like mine..i'd still be with them right now, or dead. I might not have left with Laura but I wasn't the same after that visit. Even if I couldn't remember, she gave me courage and strength I didn't know I had. She was the one that pushed me to leave that pack behind and come home. Laura Hale saved my life..and I didn't even remember. And maybe I could have done something to save her from Peter if I had gone with her..I don't know. "Derek..i'm so sorry, maybe I could have helped her-" he cuts me off, pressing his lips to mine. It catches me off guard and I half-panic. I know we're a 'thing' but i'm not ready for this, not at all. I move to push him away from me but then my head rushes again.

 _"You're my family now" Derek says. "You and Tyler and even though Scott doesn't particulary like me, him too. And I want to keep all 3 of you safe, even Stiles. I still care about what happens to you. I still care about you" he says. So many images flash in my mind, I don't know how i'm keeping up. I see me and Scott when we were young. I see Tyler when he was first born. Then it files through the years, showing me things I had no idea about. Then closer to the present, coming home and meeting Derek, seeing my family again. Tyler coming home. Fighting the alpha. Getting that phone call that changed everything from Gerard. Hitting the road. Spending the night in cars, in abandoned houses. Fighting off Croatoans, Gerard kidnapping us. Gerard making me undress for him. Being thrown in that room with Derek, the alpha becoming enraged. Us escaping, almost finding our parents. Being attacked by Gerard and losing concious. Then it's all a blurry mess of voices and pain until i'm waking up on the beach, scared and confused._

"Ash?" Derek asks, looking at me with worried eyes. I look up at him.

"I-I remember" I whisper. "I remember..everything" I say, letting out a shaky breath. Derek just looks at me, not sure what to say. I grab him, kissing him. He kisses me back and I start to cry again. I've missed him so much. I've missed being this girl, i've missed being me. I hated being that scared, confused and conflicted girl. That's not me, i'm me now and I remember it all. I pull back, hugging him tighter. He hugs me back, holding me close. The crying and heavy emotions attracts Scott and the others. I don't give him the chance to ask, I jump up and pull him into a bone-crushing hug. He sighs in relief, wrapping his arms around my back. Tears of his own fall. I let Scott go, seeing Tyler. "Ty" I smile through my tears. He smiles, running over. I kneel in the sand, taking him into my arms. The pack slowly realise what's happened. "I love you so much" I tell Tyler.

"I love you too Ashy" he says, his little arms squeezing me tightly. I've never been so relieved in my life. Sure, things are bad right now but I remember these people and what they mean to me. And I remember why we're here and how I ended up here. I remember getting in our cars and going after our parents. I remember. I pull away from Tyler, standing back up. I smile at the pack, wiping my eyes.

"I uh..I remember everything that happened" I tell them. "You owe me 5 bucks from when we were in primary by the way Stilinski" I recall. They laugh and I smile. "But I have good news" I say.

"What news?" Scott asks.

"I remember some of what they did to me. I sort of remember how I got here" I say. "And I think I know how we get outta here. And how we find Gerard" I say with a determined look.

..

..

 **Sort of tacky that Derek's kiss made her remember everything but it wasn't just that. Getting the memory back of Laura that Laura stole from her contributed to that. And I liked the idea of in the programme how they used Lydia and her love to make Jackson human again so it's sort of like that :3 And to go with my theme of skin to skin contact helping her remember! We need some cheesy fluff sometimes :) But hell yeah! Ashlee is back to badass Ash! Favourite, follow and review!**


	33. Hybrid

**This ended up taking a Resident Evil turn, kudos to them for the ideas :)**

 **Shout out to;**

 **vtennis2010-She's is back! Honestly, I love all the exclaimation marks!**

 **RainbowPotter-Well, i'm glad you've found and like my fic :) I update daily and at the same time so you won't be waiting long! I plan to give those Dashlee feels as well :)**

 **Serena Sterling- WORDS 3 I'm glad you liked the kiss thing, I thought it was a little cheesy but I liked it so I kept it :) I actually have no idea about Victoria..I guess I just left her out. Oops. You mean Allison's Mom, right? For now, she's just not around. Maybe they'll be a time where she appears but I don't think so. I never liked her anyway :P I wrote season 2 with the kanima and everthing before I decided to take my own twist and do my own season 2 so that's why i've forgotten about her because orginally, Derek had bitten her like in the show but then I took my own spin anddddd here we are! So for now, she's just not around :)**

 **Bree-Yes :) Laura being her alpha wouldn't have made much sense so that's good :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Ash, what do you mean?" Scott asks me.

"They kept me there, ran tests. That's a bit blurry, probably from the drugs. They sent me back here as a distraction, Gerard took my memory on purpose" I tell him. "But I..I remember the trip here, I remember being awake. I had to be, they tossed me in the water, leaving me to wash up"

"When we found you..you were covered in bruises and cuts" Derek recalls, frowning at the memory. I give him a small smile, taking his hand in mine. I don't have any sort of headrush or flashback. I think i've got most of my memory back. There are some dark patches, mostly of which are just when I was with Gerard. But I hope that comes back too, it could help us.

"What's important is what's happening in 2 night's time" I say.

"What's happening in 2 night's time?" Stiles asks.

"They were running those tests for a reason. Gerard's building his..it's like this book.."

"Bestiary?" Allison supplies.

"Yeah" I nod. "It's a huge book with all this information on supernatural creatures. Right now, most of it's papers and research, it's not written in the book yet. He was testing me so he had an entry for werejaguars" I reveal. "But that's not all he wanted me for" I say.

"Ash..what else happened?" Scott asks.

"There was another girl there, I don't know who she was or what she was" I say. "But I think Gerard tested her too. I don't know if she's still alive. I think there was a couple people, like us, there. I got out, well for awhile..he's making something, with the blood and everything, there's something there that..I can't explain it. I never saw it, but I could faintly smell"

"What'd it smell like?" Derek asks me.

"Like me" I cringe. "And a wolf. And a human. And a few other things I couldn't pin down" I sigh, a little scared.

"2 night's time, huh?" Derek asks. I nod.

"I think he's sending it to kill us" I say. "And then he's sending it out to kill anything supernatural on Gerard's behalf. He's..he's trying to rid the world of the supernatural" they fall quiet, taking in that news. Something, we don't know what, is going to be sent after us. "He's spent years researching and testing for this book..bestiary, so he knew what he needed to kill every shapeshifter. Now he has the information. He needed my blood and I was a distraction from trying to find a way off the island to you guys while he finished making _it_. Whatever it is. I have no idea what it is. I'm sorry..I didn't know" I sigh.

"Hey, it's not your fault" Lydia assures me.

"She's right. It's not your fault at all" Peter says. I give the both a small smile. I feel like I could have stopped this, if only I had worked harder to get my memory back..maybe I could have warned them sooner and we could have found a way off this island.

"Stop blaming yourself" Derek says. I look up at him, letting my lip go. He looks at my lip and I realise. I bite my lip when I worry or stress or get nervous. "I don't think we could have gotten off this island anyway" Derek tells me. "Besides, we don't run, we fight. We're done running, remember?" he asks.

"Yeah, I remember" I nod, remembering back to when we told each other we were done running.

"Do you have a plan?" Isaac asks me. I take a deep breath.

"Sort of" I say, not that confidently.

"Well it's better than no" Scott backs up, giving me a smile. I nod, returning it.

..

 **Gerard's p.o.v**

"Wake him up" I tell my men. I watch with a smile as the water's flushed out of the chamber. I walk to stand in front of him. His eyes open, shining silver.

"Everything's ready sir. Input codes are programmed and ready for use" head of security tells me.

"Perfect. Thank you. Get the training station ready" I tell him. He nods, moving out with the crew. "My very own weapon of vengence" I say, touching my hand to the glass. His clawed hand comes up to touch mine. I smirk. This is for you Kate. And this is going to be _alot_ of fun.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

Right now, all we can do is wait. Wait until the day comes that Gerard sends that _thing_ here to kill us. Instead of him killing us like he thinks,

We kill his 'experiment'.

We kill the guards.

We take their truck.

We get off this island on whatever road they managed to raise from the sea for them to get here or whatever.

We go back to his base.

We get our parents.

Then we kill Gerard and anyone of them that's left.

I know the pack's anxious but there's nothing I can do to stop that. Whatever it is, it's coming. Nothing I say to them will change that. So we rest, we eat, we get our strength up. Because by this time in 48 hours..it's going to be hell. And we're all coming out the other side. I really hope so..

I sit at the end of the run-down wooden wharf, dangling my feet in the water. I've got my memory back, most of it, aside the clear details of what happened while I was alone with Gerard and his men. I don't remember exactly what happened with the tests, and I can't seem to put my finger on who I smelt or what they were. They smelt familiar and animal, even the animal side was familiar. But I can't pinpoint it yet. I trace my big toe in the water, making a circle. I catch my reflection in the water's surface. I look down at it, noticing something..different. I notice the end half of one eyebrow is missing, like it was ripped off. I bring my fingers up, tracing over it. I'm suprised to feel the action cause me a little pain. I close my eyes, focusing and touching it. Come on, trigger something, show me something, _anything_. I bring my other hand to the other eyebrow, finding it's fine but it still hurts a little.

 _"Take her blood, I want it put into the Hybrid Programme" I feel faintly hear Gerard's voice. I open my eyes, blinking rapidly under the bright light above me. I try to move but my arms and legs are strapped down. "Not so fast sweetheart" Gerard smiles down at me. I growl, baring my fangs. I can't break free though. I shake my head, trying to pull on the cords and break free of at least something. I feel a tear above my eye and then I smell blood. I think my head's bleeding. "Put her back to sleep" Gerard says to the man in the bloodied scrubs. I try to pull away but I feel a pinch. Then my body relaxes without my consent and my eyes flutter closed again._

I open my eyes. I did that to myself, trying to break free. What the hell was he talking about? The 'Hybrid Programme'? What is that? I close my eyes again.

 _"I'm not done. Bring her in, the last girl" I hear Gerard say._

 _"Sir, that's 2 already" the same man in the scrubs says._

 _"Are you telling me he won't be stable with the addition of 1 more?"_

 _"No-"_

 _"Then get it done. Take her blood, send it to the Hybrid Programme and begin the analysis. I want hourly updates with all official levels, verifications, the results to the different strands of stimuli testing and whatever you do, keep him locked down. Do not let him out. Not yet. Do you understand?" Gerard says to the man._

 _"Yes sir" the 'doctor' nods._

Okay. Something is very wrong. What the _hell_ is the 'Hybrid Programme'? Why is he taking blood from me, another girl and whoever the third person or thing is? What does he mean with the 'addition' of 1 more? What addition? Adding to what?

"What are you doing out here?" I turn around, seeing Stiles.

"Just trying to figure everything out" I tell him.

"Can I join you?" he asks. I nod. Stiles comes and sits down beside me.

"Tell me something, when I say hybrid, what you think?" I ask him.

"Why?" he asks.

"Answer the question Stiles" I say. He chuckles.

"It's really good to have _you_ you back" he smiles. I remember everything about Stiles. He is like my brother. We've been family most of our lives. I lean my head on his shoulder. "Okay..so hybrid? Well, I think the combination of two species" he tells me. "Or more, as long as it's more than 1 species I think it qualifies" he says. I nod.

"Like animals too, right?" I ask.

"Of course, like the Liger, a lion and tiger hybrid" he says.

"Or a jaguar and wolf hybrid" I say.

"Jaguar and _wolf_?" he asks, wide eyed. "You thinking of having a kid with Derek or something?" Stiles asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no, of course not" I say. "I've been seeing more things, things from when I was with Gerard. It's mostly voices but..he keeps talking about a 'Hybrid Programme', it's where he was sending our blood"

" _Our_ blood? Who else?" Stiles asks.

"Like I said, there was another girl and-and I don't know who else but I think there were more" I say. "Whatever Gerard's cooking up in there..it's not human, not entirely anyway. But it's not like us either. It smelt so _wrong_. There were too many scents" I say.

"Like a hybrid?" we both turn around, seeing Derek and Scott standing there.

"I don't know. Maybe..i'm not sure" I say.

"I know we said we were going to stop, but Ash..I need to remember anything you can" Derek says, a sense of urgency coming to his voice.

"Why? What's so bad about a hybrid?" Scott asks.

"They not only have the same abilities as both creatures..but they have both creatures strength too" I say. Scott frowns, thinking about it. "I'll do it. Just give me some space and some quiet and i'll try as hard as I can" I assure them.

"Once you've eaten and had something to drink" Scott says. I go to object. " _Only_ then" he says pointedly.

"Okay" I nod, getting up.

..

..

 **Something big and bad is coming is coming for them! I've got one more suprise as well for when the ones that survive go back for the parents :3 And to go along with that suprise..Derek** _ **might**_ **be taking some time off from the pack. I'm still thinking that part over but he might leave like he did in the programme. I don't want to give away too much but thought i'd clue you in on the possibility of that happening. This fic won't end if that happens though! I've got some other ideas for a 'big, bad' coming later on too :) Favourite, follow and review!**


	34. One More Night

**Big Dashlee moment in here ;)**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-So many questions :P I can only really answer 1 question. No, Gerard won't be bleeding any black blood :)**

 ***Revenger Tigger-May the intensity be with you! I have an entire chapter put aside for the fight so it should be epic! :D**

 ***Bree-Hmm i'm sneaky ;) As for Derek and Ash going together..in my idea..not so much together.**

 ***nosferatufan-Yes! Gerard being an evil douche :D The thing about Derek leaving (if I actually decide to use that idea) will make more sense in a few chatpers time when I reveal one of my many suprises :)**

 ***Tesla424-Thank you :) Hmm..I wondering who you're thinking it is? Because there's more than 1 :P**

 ***AlphaWolf19-It's okay, you're here now :) The 'hybrid thing' is not exactly like Matt is but it'll have similarities. Gerard can be terrifying, he sucks! So..since you and I talked about a TWD/TW fic, i've been working on it but, for some reason, I ended up starting writing another TW fic. It's where Ashlee's human and doesn't know about the supernatural and ends up living with Derek and Isaac. She has 'issues' with her Dad and loves cars. Honestly, I don't know how I went from TWD to that, but..what you read that as well? I've found myself writing quite alot for it. But! I am still working on TWD-style one as well :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I close my eyes, trying to focus.

 _"Bring her in, the last girl"_

 _"Sir, that's 2 already"_

 _"Are you telling me he won't be stable with the addition of 1 more?"_

I keep seeing that but I don't know what it means. He's doing something with blood, some sort of experiment. He's testing us, me and that girl and whoever else. He's using our blood to try produce some kind of hybrid? I think.. It's dangerous and un-natural. Does that mean Gerard's trying to spawn off something, a he I think, to 3 different species? Or was he trialing on 3 people? Or 3 werejaguars? I don't know, I have no idea. I wish I could help.

I've been trying all night and all of today. The pack's training, getting their strength up and figuring out a plan just in case. Anyone human will stay out of the way at all times. I'm scared of this thing and i'm a shifter, there's no way i'm putting Allison, Tyler, Stiles or Lydia in front of that thing. No way. I'm scared for Tyler. I know he gets fearful and he panics, even taking off sometimes like back with the Croatoans and Peter.

Tomorrow. All this is supposed to happen tomorrow. And we're not ready, I don't think we ever could be. Hopefully we'll have the element of suprise. I mean, Gerard must have thought the memory loss would hang in for a good long while if he was using it as a distraction. But what if this was his plan all along? What if we're just playing into it? I don't know what to think because..for the first time in a long time..i'm actually scared. Of course i'm scared for the pack's safety, I always am. But this time, i'm actually scared for myself too. I remember everything now, I don't want to lose this life. No matter how messy it gets, i'm happy. I have my family, I have Derek, I have my friends. I'm not ready to give that up. Normally, i'd talk a big game and hype myself up, but this time? I'm scared i'm not going to have the choice. I'm hanging onto that hope though, I am. I dream of us all getting out, but I can't really envision it..does that make sense? And when I do see it..I don't see myself getting out. I don't see Scott getting out either and that scares the _hell_ out of me. I'd give myself up for them, I would, I almost did with Gerard..but I won't let it be the other way around. I just won't.

"Hey, you should stop now" I hear Derek say from behind me. I sit on that wharf again. The moon's high in the sky, bouncing off the water. The water calms me, soothes me, helps me think. "I think you can't remember more because there's nothing else for you to remember. You were out of it for alot of it, right? I think you've just come to the end of it" he says.

"What if I haven't? What if there's more and it can help?" I ask him, still facing the water and not him.

"I know you wanna have all the answers..but you can't. And i'm sorry. Come with me, let's get some sleep" he says, holding his hand out. I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. But i'm not going to sleep. He starts to walk away and I drop his hand. "Ash?" he asks, turning back to me. I reach for the hem of my singlet, pulling it over my head and dropping it onto the wharf. Next, I undo my jeans, pulling them off as well. "What are you doing?" Derek asks, smiling a little.

"We could die tomorrow" I shrug. "And i've never been to an island until now. I know I won't be able to sleep with this hanging over our heads so screw it. I'm going for a swim" I say simply. Derek gives me the same look he always does when I do bizarre things, it's like a confused but admirable eyebrow raise. "I'll be home later to tuck you in" I tease, turning to dive in.

"Wait" he says, catching my arm. I turn back to him. He shakes his head fondly before reaching for his own shirt and taking it off. I raise an eyebrow, looking down at his pants. He sees and nods. Then his pants come off too, leaving him in drawers and me in a bra and underwear.

"Well come on" I smile. I dive in first, him coming in after. The water's freezing but I don't care. "Cold, huh?" I ask Derek once we've both resurfaced.

"Cold for a cat" he teases. I scoff playfully and splash him. He splashes me back. We go back and forth until there's just water flying everywhere. I duck under the water, using my speed to swim away quickly to the next bay. I yelped giggle escapes my lips when I come up to find he's aready caught up to me. He grabs me, lifting me up bridal style and walking us up to the sand. We sit down, me cuddling into his chest as he's far warmer than I am. "Cold, huh?" he grins.

"Screw you" I chuckle. Derek brings his arms around me, holding me close and heating me up. "I really missed you" I say, looking up at him.

"I was always here" he assures me.

"I know, but I wasn't" I say.

"But you are now" he smiles down at me. "Just don't pull that crap again, alright?"

"I'll try" I chuckle softly. I lean up to kiss him. He smiles me back, craddling my face. I don't know if it was me losing my memory and forgetting _us_ , or it was what happened with Gerard..but things quickly get heated. And more heated. And more heated until it's like a damn fire. I'm on my back in the sand with a lip-hungry werewolf over me, stealing every taste of my mouth he can get. Then along my jaw and throat and chest. We smile, bringing our lips together as our hands fumble in the dark, pulling off the little amount of clothes we still have on. We could die tomorrow, we could. At least I know I got to have one night with Derek, the both of us being.. _one_ , you know? And the second we were _one_ , we were in a hot mess of moans and mewls, I was practically melting into a puddle of goo underneth the wolf, raking my claws up and back the alpha's back lightly. His hands groping my chest or caressing my face or gripping my thighs. And even if it was in the sand, in the dark and we were both dripping wet from swimming..it was a _really_ good night.

..

"Ash, wake up" I stir, someone shaking me. "Ash, the sun's coming up, we should get back to the pack" I open my eyes, finding it's Derek trying to wake me. I yawn, sitting up. "Come on, we gotta get back" he says. I nod, getting up with his help. I look at the sky. I smile, the sunrise looking warmly-familiar. "What is it?" Derek asks me.

"The sunrise..it just reminds of the first time we ever talked without fighting" I chuckle. He smiles, remembering too. I turn to him. "Just before we go back..if something happens to me-"

"Shhh" he hushes me. "Nothing's gonna happen to you"

"Derek" I say. " _If_ something happens to me..just look out for Tyler and Scott, okay? And uh..I just want you to know that all the crap that happened with Peter and Scott, I forgive you. I just need you to know that there's no bad blood between us" I say.

"Ash..why are you talking like you know something's going to happen?" he asks, frowning.

"I don't. I've thought about it, I admit that. But I just need to know I said it" I say. "I really care about you and..I just want everything to be okay here in case something does happen so.." I say.

"Everything's fine here" he smiles softly. "And I really care about you as well" he tells me. I smile. I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his lips softly.

"I'm glad last night happened too" I admit. Any time my relationships have gotten to _that_ point..it hasn't really worked out after that. Everything was always rushed and we weren't ready and..it just never worked out. But last night, as stupidly tacky as this sounds..it was sort of perfect and kind of romantic. On a island, on the beach and under the moon and the stars. Jesus, I sound like such a sap. Derek smiles properly now.

"So am I" he says. "Come on, let's get back" he says, taking me hand.

..

By the time Derek and I had gotten back and gotten dressed, the pack was only just starting to wake. Lydia volunteers for kitchen duty, heating up cans of spaghetti over a fire. We all sit in a circle around the fire, eating. This moment, where we're all together like this, it's nice. Even though we know today's the day whatever Gerard has been planning is coming to it's fearful end, we can have this moment, together. The more time that goes on, the more I see it. I see everyone of them is having the same thoughts i've been having, they think they're not making it out.

Then it comes time for Lydia, Allison and Stiles to take Tyler and go into hiding.

"I love you Tyler" I tell him, hugging him tightly.

"I love you Ashy" he says. There's saddness in his voice and I hate that he understands what's happening. I kiss his head and stand up to hug Stiles.

"You come back" Stiles says to me. I nod, hugging him tighter. Scott's kissing Allison. Even Derek's betas are saying their..I want to say goodbyes because deep down we know they _could_ end up being goodbyes. I hug both girls and thank them for their support and help and for always being there for Scott, Tyler and Stiles. I lean my head on Scott's shoulder as we watch the 4 disappear into the jungle to our meeting point.

"Okay" I sigh, turning back to the water. "It shouldn't be long now until they come" we hear rustling behind us so we turn back around. I frown in confusion when the 4 walk back out of the trees. "What are you doing.." I trail off, seeing the guns to their heads. The armed guards reveal themselves next.

"Too late. We're already here" one of them says, walking out with a gun at his side. I growl, my fangs enlongating. I feel the pack follow my lead.

"I'm glad you feel like fighting" comes that disgusting voice. Gerard reveals himself, smirking. I move to go for him but then I catch that scent..that _wrong_ scent. "Because that's exactly what you're going to do" he says. _It_ steps out from the trees, standing taller than me, much bigger in size too. My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat or two when I see _who_ it actually is. That's why it was oddly-familiar under all those animal scents.

"It's good to see you again Ashlee" Dante smirks, baring his own long, sharp teeth, not fangs but all his teeth, at me. I snarl back, my jaguar filled with hatred and rage.

..

..

 **Who is Dante?! What's going to happen?! This might be my cruelest cliffhanger yet! And they totally did it on the beach :P Favourite, follow and review!**


	35. Silver Eyes

**The big showdown!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Sorry for the cliffhanger :P It's my thing! One of your guesses is correct :)**

 ***vtennis2010-I think you do know ;) Being honest, i'm not entirely sure who's making it out and who's not, I have the ideas and everythig but i'm still deciding! I'm cutting it** _ **very**_ **thin as well! Dashlee beach scene :3**

 ***nosferatufan-Sorry!**

 ***DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-Insanity is also my thing! Thanks, i'm really liking writing the twists :) Of course, I ruin all feels at the end :P**

 ***Bree-I'm sorry but I did laugh when you said you almost fell off your bed :P Let's see if you're right!**

 ***Tesla424-'Heehee they did it heehee', I love it :)**

 ***tonitonitoka-That's an okay thing to hope for :)**

 ***Nerissa Blackwell-No, thank you! Hope I keep you hooked :)**

 ***AlphaWolf19-Firstly, I love your long reviews :3 Here's the update! I want to keep this intensity as well! Dante won't be turning to their side unfortunately, but I think you'll enjoy what happens to him once you've read this chapter! I can't wait for the final movie! I have been writing alot for those drafted other TW fics too! The human Ash TW one is quite..hmm..feelys on her side sort of and involves alot of mechanic!Ash and some abusive!Rafael. My TWD one, well, Ash is just a badass, with her dog and little sister, with a bow and quiver so enough said :) I hope to have them up soon :D**

 **Enjoy this (sort of) season finale!**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

His eyes flash silver at me. What the hell is he? Derek and Scott step up beside me, growling.

"Me dejaste para ellos?" Dante asks me, ' _You left me for them?_ '. He looks around at the pack. I growl. Hearing him speak Spanish reminds me of my past. It makes my skin crawl.

"No. Ella te dejo porque eres un monstruo." Derek growls at the man as he realises who this must be, ' _No. She left you because you're a monster_ '. My eyes widen. He speaks Spanish?

"A monster?" Dante asks Derek, reverting back to the English Gerard must have taught him. Or maybe he just taught himself like I did with Spanish. "You have no idea." He growls back.

"Back off. Or they die." Gerard warns us. When none of us back down, the guns pointed at Lydia, Allison, Stiles and Tyler's heads are cocked. "All of you. _Now_." Gerard orders. Tyler's eyes well with tears. All 3 of us back down upon smelling the fear coming from the young boy and the pack humans, our eyes scanning the area for a plan B. We were supposed to have the element of suprise. It wasn't supposed to go like this. I spin around when I hear footsteps. There's more guards, they now have Peter, Erica, Boyd and Isaac on their knees, guns pumped full of wolfsbane aimed at them and ready to fire. I look between Scott and Derek. This was definitely not supposed to happen. "This is how it's going to work." Gerard says, stepping up beside Dante. "Ashlee's going to-"

"No. Forget it." Scott cuts him off angerily.

"No?" Gerard repeats. He nods to a guard. Boyd bites back a howl of pain when a knife's plunged into his thigh. Derek's eyes widen, all of us smelling the wolfsbane. I hear Derek's heartbeat spike in panic as his beta groans in pain. "No?" Gerard asks again.

"What do you want?" I ask him.

"Ash, don't." Scott says. I ignore him.

"Get your 2 guard dogs to back off." Dante says. "We're gonna fight. Me and you, just like old times." He smiles. I grit my teeth angerily. Gerard nods.

"Or Tyler dies next." Gerard says. Tyler hears, starting to sob. I look at him, my jaguar becoming angry, growling and snarling at Gerard and Dante as I hear my baby brother cry tears of fear. He didn't ask for this, he's a child. He wasn't supposed to get involved. None of them were, that's why we were sending them away.

"Back off." I say, looking back at Derek and Scott.

"Ash." Derek says, not liking that idea at all.

"Please." I plead, trying not to listen to Tyler's cries. "I have to do this." I say, my eyes falling to Tyler whose face is licked with a steady stream of fresh tears. Scott glares at the ground, stepping back and grabbing Derek's arm, pulling him back too. We won't let anything happen to Tyler. Guards quickly circle the 2, having them at gun-point as well. I'm the only one of the pack that stands, Gerard and Dante across from me.

"Go ahead. Show me we didn't waste our time on you." Gerard nods to Dante, stepping back to stand with his guards. My jaguar is so mad, just from seeing this man again. Dante starts to circle me, I watch him closely.

"You know, i've missed you my little wayward jaguar." Dante taunts. I growl, shifting. "You were my strongest beta." He says. I can feel the pack's realisation. If they didn't piece it together yet, they do now. This is my old alpha. This is the monster that used us and hurt us. I don't know how he got in the middle of this, but he's definitely willing to help Gerard hunt us. And that's not okay with me. Not at all. Scott tries to get up but he's quickly thrown back to the ground, a gun shoved to his back. I shake my head at him and Derek, seeing they're itching to get involved. Dante lunges forward, razor sharp claws flying at me. I sidestep, flipping back to my feet. I've fought him before and lost. I've trained with him and gotten hurt. He's punished us unfairly by beating us. I'm not going down without a fight this time. "You've gotten faster." Dante comments. "Too bad this is an unfair fight." He says. Before I can ask why, he shifts. My eyes widen in horror. I was right. He's..he's some sort of hybrid. He's fully shifted, like an animal.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Gerard asks me. "Your alpha. He's no longer just a werecoyote. We used your blood to give him jaguar abilities. We used a werewolf to give him wolf abilities. Do you remember little Crystal? The werefox, kitsune?" Gerard asks me. I feel my stomach drop. Crystal was the werefox from my old pack, she was 16. She's the one I stood up for.

"Where is she?" I ask.

"She's dead." Gerard tell me with a smile. "But at least she was able to give her blood before I shot her." Gerard smirks. I feel rage boiling up inside of me. I look at a shifted Dante. He has the muzzle and face of a wolf with shining silver eyes. He has the body of a coyote but with jaguar spots. His tail's a fox's. All his teeth are long and sharp, not just his k-nines. Each 4 paws are clawed, long black razor-like claws. "I need to test out my experiment before I send Dante out to exterminate all supernatural life. I want you to fight him or i'm gonna kill your family and your friends, starting with your brother." Gerard says.

"I'm the alpha, let me do it." Derek growls, trying to get up but being held and having a gun to his head.

"No." Gerard shakes his head. "You may be stronger Derek but this means more to her. Doesn't it Ashlee?" Gerard asks me. "Dante told me everything you know? The abuse. Remember back at my base? That fun we had? I saw your scars and I know he put them there." I feel my hip tingle just from having it brought up. Derek and Scott snap their fangs, knowing _exactly_ what he's talking about. Even Peter and the betas squirm a little at the mention of what happened to me at Gerard's base. I slip into an attack stance, my lips curled over my fangs as I snarl at Dante.

"You want me to fight? Then lets fight." I taunt him. Gerard nods. The large creature pounces at me. I move out of the way again, swiping out with my own claws. I clip his ear. But it doesn't slow him down, it just makes him angrier. He charges at me again, slamming his body into me and sending me into the rocks. I cough up blood, pulling myself to my feet dizzily. He's strong, really, really strong. What Derek said about hybrids having all that power, it's true.

"Ash?!" Scott struggles, trying to move. I shake my head at him.

"No. This is my fight." I tell him. I growl, running at Dante this time. He snaps his large teeth at me. I kick up, catching him in the jaw and using my footing to jump over him and onto his back. I stab my claws into his spine. He howls in pain, bucking me off him. I land on my feet, stumbling a little.

"Maybe that's one flaw I shouldn't have looked past. He's heavier with all the body mass, he's not as fast as any of you." Gerard says, having no problem admitting it. "But he makes up for that with his strength, right?" He boasts.

"I don't know about that, he was always a spineless asshole." I sneer, glaring at Gerard.

"Show her otherwise." Gerard says to Dante. Large fangs are bared at me, saliva dripping from them. He charges at me, swiping out at me with both paws. My eyes follow his every move. I jump back, dodging the first paw and then I duck and dodge the second. "She's faster than you. Do something." Gerard lectures Dante, disappointment bleeding into his tone. I growl, swiping out at him with my own claws. Dante's wolf head snaps to the side, blood leaking into his fur. Dante starts to circle me, growling dangerously. I keep my eyes peeled, watching his muscles for any twitch of movement to come towards me. I need to find a weak spot, something, _anything_ to help me. Because I can't beat him like this, he's too strong and i'll be weakened because he can even break a sweat. He comes at me again but I see it early, diving out of his path. He pushes back with a huge paw, hitting me in the back. I loose my footing but fall into a roll to get back to my feet before he can attack me from behind. Behind.. The spine. But Dante's fast, the second i've turned around, he slams into me so hard, i'm dizzy. I try to move out of the way again but his large clawed paw shoves me to the ground, holding me down. I try to punch out or clip him with my claws but he catches my forearm in his mouth. I only have time to panic for a split second before i'm screaming in pain, feeling the blood dripping down from each fang-hole as he bites down hard.

"No! ASH!" Derek panics. Dante uses a paw to move my shirt up. I panic, already knowing what he's planning to do. I cry out again, tears coming to my eyes, his knife-like claws dragging over the old scars on my hip, forcing them to rip open again. It's like i've been shot. My energy drains as my blood does too.

"Finish her!" Gerard orders.

"No!" Scott yells.

"Scott, stop!" I beg when he rips away from the guards. I hear crying and screaming. I hear gunshots and more growls. I hear the angry roar of the alpha. "Derek!"

"Run! Take Tyler and go!" I hear Scott yell. The sound of gunshots and angry wolves fill the air.

"Do it now!" Gerard orders. I look up at the alpha hybrid growling above me. His paw comes to my face, forcing me to bare my neck like he always used too. I close my eyes, accpeting my fate when Dante's tackled off me. I scramble away from him, holding my bleeding arm with my other hand, my spare hand shooting between my steadily bleeding arm and hip. The sand stains red as my side bleeds onto it. Peter turns to look at me. I give him a thankful nod, him being the one that got Dante off me. I look around, full blown war between the supernatural and the hunters has broken out. I see Scott stab his claws into one of Gerard's men's stomach, growling at him. I see Boyd take a bullet, stumbling but Erica runs to his side, helping him fight. I try to pull myself up to go help but there's a searing pain in my arm and side and it's making me curl over. Dante gets up, setting Peter in his sights. Derek runs over, eyes glowing an angry red. He punches out at the hybrid alpha, knocking him down. Derek is Dante's most equal match out of us all. I pull myself to my feet when I see Dante swipe out at Derek with his claws, throwing the male over to the water. He rushes over, trying to hold him under. My body floods with pure adrenaline as I see Dante hurt Derek. I run forward, jumping onto Dante's back, coating his fur with my blood. He gets distracted, letting go of Derek to deal with me. He tries to buck me off again, his strong tail trying to smack me off as well. I dig my claws into his neck, the hybrid squirming in pain. We can't fight him, he's too strong. The only weakness he's shown is the neck and spine, just like any of creature. If you can't move, you can't fight. He bucks back and I lean back, gripping his ear rouhgly to stay on. I don't see his tail, being shoved off and into the water as well. My vision blurs but I see the water turn a heavy red, the smell of my blood filling my nose. I'm grabbed, but not by Dante, by Derek. He pulls me out of the way when Dante slams a heavy, clawed paw down into the water.

"Ash? You okay?" Derek asks me with wide, worried eyes. I nod. He puts his had on my side, black lines drawing up his arm.

"Derek, his neck. I-I have to get back on his back." I say, feeling the adrenaline starting to wear off as the pain settles in again. Dante spins to us, seeing we've escaped him. He charges and Derek side-steps him, pulling me with him. Dante roars, getting angrier.

"I'm not putting you in danger like that again." Derek says.

"It's not your choice." I say. "This is personal, it has to be me." I say, meeting his eyes. He looks so objecting and I know he wants to to say no and try to take the hybrid down himself. Even he knows that wouldn't be possible. He needs to let me help. "Crystal's dead because of him, she was just a kid. Please Derek, I have to be the one to do this." I beg. "Like you did to Peter for Laura." I say. Dante roars, getting ready to charge again. Derek looks between both of my eyes. He knows i'm right. He looks at Dante and back to me. He nods, quickly kicking up when Dante runs at us.

"Ash, now!" Derek yells, stabbing his claws into Dante's eye. I snarl, jumping on his back again. I dig my claws into his neck, tearing across his throat. He howls in pain again but I know even that's not enough to take his down. My vision darkens and I get dizzy when the butt of a gun is jabbed into my face. I lose my balance, falling off of Dante. I look up, coming face to face with the barrel of a wolfsbane-filled shotgun and an armored guard. My eyes widen as he cocks the gun. I hear a gunshot and I tense up, waiting for more pain. But it isn't from his gun. I look past him, seeing Scott fall to his knees.

 _"No! No, no, no" I panic, seeing Scott get shot with wolfsbane in the Hale house._

It's just like my flashback.

"Scott!?" I scream. Derek sees, running to go after him. Dante grabs the alpha, shoving him to the ground. Dante roars, baring his fangs to attack Derek. I panic, all those bad feelings flooding through my body. Then adrenaline crashes through me once again. I kick the gun out of my face. It goes off, only clipping my shoulder. I leap to my feet, wrapping my hands around his head and snapping his neck in on swift movement. I run at Dante, leaping onto his back again. I don't waste time stabbing him though. I roar, biting into his throat and gripping onto something tightly between my fangs. A whole other sound of pain rips from my ex-alpha's mouth. It's high-pitched, a yelp, he's in raw pain. I reach out to Derek. He grab my hands, pulling me back with as much force as he can. Whatever I had my teeth around comes ripping out as I tumble back againist Derek and into the sand. I spit it out quickly. I would gag but i'm far too angry to care. Dante howls in pure agony, blood spilling down his throat. He shifts back to human, holding his hands over his throat and kneeling over in the sand. You can hear him choking on his own blood. Then claws burst through his chest from out his back. He falls forward into the sand, flinching but sure enough, dead. Scott stands behind him shakily, his claws stained red.

"Scott?!" Derek says. We both run to him. Isaac manages to catch him before he falls.

"Scott, just hold on, okay? We'll get you a cure, just hold on" I say. He nods with a weak smile. I hear Derek growl angerily. I look up, seeing Gerard. Dante's dead. Derek's betas and Peter are finishing off the guards. He stands alone now. Derek lunges towards Gerard, catching him by the throat and throwing him to the ground. He kicks Gerard in the face, the older man spitting up blood and his own teeth. I look at Scott.

"G-go." Scott nods. I kiss his forehead and get up, going over to Derek.

"No, stop." Peter says, catching my arm. Gerard reaches for a gun and Derek stomps on his hand. You literally hear the bones in his hand break. "Don't approach him, not when he's like this."

"Derek, stop it." I look over and see Stiles has come back, a knife in hand. He's got Allison with him, she has a knife too, both are her's. Derek sends Stiles a warning growl, grinding his boot againist Gerard's broken fingers. "Derek, enough!" Stiles yells.

"Stiles, get back!" Peter yells. Derek lets out an unbelievably angry roar, his eyes burning brigher red. "I've seen this happen before. Stiles, back!" he orders.

"What's happening to Derek?" I ask Peter, panicking. Stiles grabs Allison's arm, pulling her away from Derek. My eyes widen when Derek starts shifting. But it doesn't stop there, fur spreads over him, replacing his skin. A ripple rolls down his back as his bones move, quickly changing his shape. We're all in shock, besides Peter as he says he's already seen it. Derek thumps a heavy, clawed paw down in the sand. Before us now stands a wolf. A huge, black, angry wolf. His ears pulled back, muzzle dripping with angry saliva as he snarls at Gerard, showing sharp k-nines that are thristy for his blood. He steps towards Gerard, every fibre of his being projecting anger and hurt. I pull away from Peter, stumbling over to Derek.

"Ashlee!" Peter yells in an attempt to stop me. I stand between Derek and Gerard bravely.

..

 **Stiles's p.o.v**

"Derek, stop." Ash says evenly. He growls, telling her to move. I move to go to Ash's side but Peter puts a hand out, stopping me and Allison. "I said stop!" She growls, her eyes lighting up green. All that's left is Gerard and the pack just watch on. Noone knows what to do. Noone knows what's going to happen. Noone wants to get involved. Noone wants to get between them. Derek growls again, baring his fangs and flashing his red eyes at her. I know Derek wants Gerard dead just as much as we do. But I think Ash needs to be the one to do this. "Derek, no." Ash says, her voice becoming softer. He keeps growling, his muzzle curling up and showing more teeth. "Okay, look." Ash says. We all watch with wide eyes as Ash actually bares her neck to Derek. For her, that's a huge sign of trust. Ash wants Derek to trust her. "This bastard's mine." Ash says to him, talking about Gerard. Understanding flashes in the wolf's eyes. Derek bows his head and backs up a few steps. "Thank you." Ash says. She turns towards Gerard. Derek comes to mine and Peter's side. He nods his muzzle to us, as if in apology for the way he acted.

"It's okay." I tell him because I do understand his actions. Hell, if he hadn't have gone at Gerard like he did, I would have. My eyes follow Ash as she slowly moves towards Gerard, eyes lighting up green. Derek flinches forward a little on instinct as Ash's getting too close to a threat for Derek's wolf's liking. I put my arm in front of him and shake my head. I know Ash. If she said Gerard didn't do anything to her back at his base, he didn't. And she's strong. But she does need to be the one to do this. After eveything he put her through..she deserves to be the one to do this. Just like Peter got his revenge on Kate. Ash needs this. She kneels down beside Gerard, fisting his hair and yanking his head back so his neck's bared to her. And not in a trusting way either. In it's feared way, to cause fatal injuiry. She flicks her claws out.

"Do it." Gerard says, blood dribbling down his chin from Derek's attack. He smiles, broken teeth and all. I glare, hating he still thinks this is a game. Ash flips him onto his back. She fully shifts. All the way to the jaguar spots down her chest. But it doesn't stop there, the spots come up her neck, coming over her cheeks. Gerard's smile drops. Ash leans over him, baring her fangs, roaring in his face. Her angry green eyes force the older man to flinch away from her in fear. This must be some shifting thing, so much anger being pushed to the surface she becomes just that little bit more like the were-creature she is. Kind of like how Derek just evolved. You hear the wind being knocked out of Gerard as Ash stabs her claws into his stomach. She pulls them out, blood steadily dripping through Gerard's fingers as he tries to stop the bleeding. Ash stands back up, letting out a breath. She's going to make him suffer. Good. She shifts back to human. She closes her eyes and when she opens them, they're human purple again. You can literally feel the energy being drained from her. Her hip and arm's still bleeding, staining her singlet heavily. Ash stumbles and in a split second, Derek's there for her to lean againist. Ash smiles weakly, running her hand through his fur. Derek helps her away from Gerard, the monster already taken his last breath a couple seconds ago. Ash wraps her arms around Derek, stumbling a little more dizzily. He tilts his head in the side in confusion and concern.

"I..i'm..i'm okay." She smiles weakly. Then she falls limp, Derek stopping her from falling to the ground.

"Ash? Ash?" I say, rushing over to her with Allison and Peter, the pack right on our heels. Derek whines when her eyes shut and she becomes unconcious from bloodloss. "ASH!"

..

..

 **Derek fully shifted! But Ash is sort of..not awake :/ So much crap happened this chapter! Probably my most action packed chapter! And remember how Ash didn't see her or Scott coming out of this alive and now all this has happened! And her old alpha, the douche, is dead! Gerard's dead! Yay! Favourite, follow and review!**


	36. Shedding Some Light

**Oh my god! I has ideas for a season3! More on that next chapter in the end author's note! I will be updating a few hours earlier tomorrow just so you know :)**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***vtennis2010-I know right?! I don't know if I want anyone to die :/ I need them all! But yay, Derek got angry and evolved! Them protective Dashlee feels :3**

 ***Serena Sterling-Yes! Dead Gerard :) I am taking my own spin on season 3 too! I don't think i'm going to bring in Deucalion..i'll see. Words again :D**

 ***AlphaWolf19-Rambling 3 I'm a rambler too :P Yay, you like my ideas! I know, waiting sucks but i'm still working so hopefully not too long now! Then again, they were going to use Matt to take out the zombie things with the virus they injected in him if he could beat Alice ;) Their logic is strange but I guess it makes sense. Make something stronger than yourself and use it to do your dirty work :) But..noone can beat Alice, I mean seriously? She's friggin'** _ **Alice**_ **! I plan for lots of feels in the aftermath, good and bad and sad :P**

 ***Tesla424-Thanks! Sweet! Real wolf! But no, Ash :( She's a badass though ;)**

 ***Bree-He was just shot but he's breathing for now ;) I'm not going to do the whole alpha pack deal. But, remember, Dante wasn't innocent so technically he could still rise to be a true alpha but i'm still wondering about that one :)**

 ***Nerissa Blackwell-I really wanted to Ash be the one to fight him, I almost wrote Derek or Scott jumping in to fight for her but no, she needed to do it :) And kill Gerard! I'm really happy you liked my AU season :) I'm planning to make season 3 AU as well :)**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up, coughing.

"Take it easy" Derek says from beside me.

"Wh..where's Scott?" I ask, sitting up.

"He's okay, Peter's dealing with the wolfsbane now" Derek tells me. I cough some more and Derek rubs my back. I look down and find my torso's bandaged up, as is my arm. I frown. "They're a..whatever he was's, you're gonna need a few days" Derek tells me, seeing my delimma. "The bullet grazed you, no wolfsbane" he tells me as I touch my shoulder.

"Is everyone okay?" I ask him.

"Everyone's fine, it's just you, Scott and Boyd. Peter's dealing with the wolfsbane in Boyd too" he tells me. I sigh in relief.

"Wait..how do we get out of here? We-we didn't see how they-"

"Ash, relax, it's okay" Derek says, seeing i'm getting worked up. "It's not a road, well it is but it's underground. It's how they got here without us realising. Stiles and Lydia have already found it. We were just waiting for you to wake up and for Peter to finish with Scott and Boyd before going"

"Well i'm awake now" I say, getting up.

"Ash, wait" Derek says. I ignore him. I instantly regret it when I feel my side tear and pain shoots through me.

"Ash, Ash, stop" Derek says, catching me. I curl over, cringing in pain. "Jesus, you're stubborn" he sighs, bringing his arms under my legs and picking me up. "Hand" he says. I put my hand in his and the black starts to leach up his arm. "You need to take it easy for a couple days, i'm serious. You're really hurt"

"Okay" I nod, relaxing into his arms. I hear a struggled cry and I know exactly who it belongs too. I let Derek go, scrambling out of his arms and to my feet. That wicked pain flares up again but I don't care, I race over to Scott.

"Ash, enough" Derek sighs, coming over to us.

"I'm fine, it's out now" Scott says to me. I sigh in relief. I turn to look at Derek, giving him a sheepishly shrug. He shakes his head fondly and takes my hand to keep leaching my pain. "Is everyone okay?" Scott asks Derek.

"Yeah." He nods. "We're all okay."

"We should get out of here." Scott says, getting to his feet with Peter's help. "I don't want to be here for any longer than we have to be." He says. Derek nods in agreement. Derek helps me to my feet. I hold an arm around my side as it's still very sore. Scott walks up to me. "Are you okay?" He asks me. I nod with a relieved smile. Scott pulls me into a hug, being careful of my injuried body. "You scared the crap out of me." He sighs againist my neck.

"I'm sorry." I say, burying my face againist his shoulder. "Never get shot again. I swear Scott, i'll kill you next time." I sigh.

"I'm sorry. But i'm okay now." Scott says. We pull back and Scott smiles at me. "I'm proud of you Ash." Scott says. I smile back. "You've always been better than him." Scott says, talking about Dante.

"Thanks Scott." I say, pulling him into another hug. Derek steps back with Peter, giving Scott and I some space.

"We're about to head out." Derek tells the pack. Everyone starts getting to their feet. I pull back, kissing Scott's head and pushing him softly towards Allison. I smile at Tyler as he comes running up to me. I pick him up, stumbling a little. I'm suprised when i'm swept off my feet again. Tyler giggles as well, still in my arms. Derek smiles, holding the both of us. "You're not walking." He says to me.

"What? You're gonna carry me the whole way?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, of course." He says. I smile and lean forward to kiss him.

"Gross. Not in front of Tyler." Stiles cringes, taking Tyler from my arms. I chuckle, pulling back. We all start walking into the jungle, glancing back at the beachland we've called home for about a week. It's been..crazy. All this has been crazy. But it's over now. We're going to walk back through their underground tunnel, we're going to find our parents and then we're going to go the hell home. I'm exhausted. I can fell my body trying to heal but I know the hybrid wounds will take awhile. Some might even leave scars, it's happened before with Dante. He had all that strength and power from those 4 animals.

"Hey, you okay?" Derek asks me. I nod dizzily.

"You evolved." I smile up at him as he walks. "I'm proud of you." I say. He smiles down at me.

"I'm proud of you." He says, kissing my head. "Go to sleep if you want. I've got you." He assures me, still carrying me easily. I nod, leaning my head againist his chest. And I do. I try not to, but I do. I fall asleep to the alpha's heartbeat in my ear.

..

 **Melissa's p.o.v**

"You can't be serious." I say to Chris.

"I'm dead serious." Chris says, looking at John and I. "You have a werewolf and a werejaguar for children Melissa."

"I.." I'm speechless. Chris just spent the last, I don't know how long, telling John and I about werewolves and werejaguars and hunters. Our children, all of our children, are caught up in this supernatural reality that's bleed into our own. Actually no, they're not caught up in it, they..they're in the _middle_ of it. My daughter came home as a..a werejaguar. My son's been a werewolf for half a year. I can't believe this. I don't actually know if I do believe it. But we all saw the things they have here when they brought us in. There was a girl, long k-nine style teeth replacing her own. There was a lab and men in armor with firearms. But that's about it.

Then the 3 of us were put in this room and we've been here for days. Usually, we're brought a tray of food every day. That hasn't happened today. That's either a really good thing, or a really bad thing. I don't know which. I don't really want to think about it. I just want to find my children and take them home. This Gerard man, who appears to be Chris' father, has come to talk to us a few times. I didn't listen much. It was either Chris and him arguing or John demanding he let us go. After he mentioned that 'the pack', with all our children and their friends, were coming to get us..I didn't say another word to him. He used us as bait and, according to Gerard, it worked and they were coming.

 _Were_.

That's what i'm afriad of. We haven't heard anything outside this room. No Gerard. No food tray. No cries of pain from the other 'animals' they have here. All that noise stopped yesturday. And now it's just silence. That scares me.

"Hey, trust me, we're gonna be fine." Chris says, looking at me. I don't realise but i've started to weep. I nod and wipe my eyes. "I know this all seems crazy and scary..but they're coming and they'll get us out. I promise. They'll be fine." He assures John and I.

"How..how long have you known about all _that_ stuff?" I ask, sniffing back more tears.

"I've been hunting since I was Scott's age. I've known all my life. But about Scott and the others? Not long after he was bitten and turned by Peter." Chris tells me.

"And-and Peter and Derek Hale..they're dead?" I ask.

"Peter is, yes. That's how Derek became the alpha." He tells me. And we got the Peter and Kate story. I was respectful that Kate Argent is his sister and didn't say anything bad, but it sounds like Peter got revenge. It doesn't sound like murder to me, it sounds like justice. Even though this Peter man sounds like a dangerous person, him and his nephew didn't deserve what Kate did. Peter went over-board after taking Kate out..but she still dserved it. I never thought i'd agree with someone's death. Kate Argent was a monster in a completely different sense to what 'the pack' are.

"So Derek's still alive?" I ask him. He tilts his head a little, like he's confused. "What?" I ask Chris.

"Melissa, Derek's..how do I put this? He's..romantically _involved_ with Ashlee." Chris tells me, eyes gauging my reaction.

"What?" I ask. Wait.. Daniel? Derek..Daniel. "What does he look like?" I ask Chris. John and Chris look me in confusion. "I just need to know."

"Black hair, green eyes. A faceful of stubble." John tells me. So even he knows who this man is. I nod with a sigh. It's confirmed. That man I found in my daughter's bed wasn't Daniel..that was Derek Hale, a _werewolf_. The guy I said was cute is a werewolf. A werewolf who's 'romantically involved' with my daughter. Hmm. Great. Not only that, Scott's dating Allison, Chris' daughter. A werewolf hunter. And he's a werewolf. Chris says him and Allison are on ' _our_ ' side. There's alot I don't know about my son and daughter.

This is alot to wrap my head around. I just..i'm having trouble believing. John's struggling with it too but he's more open-minded. I don't blame him. He works with guns and knives, murderers and other crazed people. I work with medicine and sickness, math and science. I'm just trying to hold onto fact, written fact, not mythology. But the more Chris tells us, the more I believe it. People believe in aliens..why can't mythology be real then? I think my hang-up is just that it's my oldest son and my daughter. It's..it's crazy. At least Stiles and Lydia are still human..and not hunters. I just hope within all that supernatural and were-whatevers, my baby boy is safe. Tyler can be fearful and I worry alot. And now he's running with werewolves and werejaguars and hunters and god knows what else. I'm worried. Very worried. But i'm a mother, it's job to worry.

I just hope my babies are safe.

I hope all of our babies are safe.

We all look up when we hear footsteps. Alot of them, alot of pairs of shoes. Then door handle rattles. I scramble away from the door, backing up beside John. We all watch, unable to do anything else. We have no idea what to expect when that door opens.

But then it does open, weither we were ready or not.

..

..

 **Cliffhanger! Of course! I'm sorry! And I have a big suprise next chapter! Favourite, follow and review!**


	37. Reunited

**Aftermath chapter!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***vtennis2010-Exactly :) The season 3 ideas I have twirling around my noggin are in the end note!**

 ***Serena Sterling-'Bewitching' :) Glad you did! Right now, no Jennifer Blake and I haven't felt the opportunity has arose for Derek to explain about Paige. But it'd be cool if he did it for the pack or something. Hmm.. Now i'm thinking about it :)**

 ***Bree-Never fear! The new chapter is here!**

 ***AlphaWolf19-I liked Melissa's p.o.v too :) You're about to see who it is! Yeah, i'm not exactly sure that's what Matt was for but i'm pretty sure. It was to test out how to make a cure that would last and then he got mutated so they were just like 'screw it let's** _ **try**_ **kill Alice'..no Umbrella, that's impossible. But good work for trying :,D Yes, everyone's living and breathing but there will be a couple 'oh' moments in this chapter ;) Yes! Watch the RE all over again! I might do that too :D Okay, i'm out!**

 ***Tesla424-You're update is here! Yay, i'm glad you guys liked Melissa's p.o.v :) I should do more of it I think, like her focus on Ashlee/Derek, Derek/Tyler, Scott/Allison etc. She's motherly and her p.o.v's always kind even if it's mean :P**

 ***nosferatufan-Well here you go :)**

 ***SimplyTxylor-Sorry for the weepage! I sort of thought about bringing Rafael back in to be a bad guy but i'm not so sure. I'd be okay with it if he stayed out of this for now, what do you think? :)**

 ***Jyll-Firstly, I love the way you spell your name :) And thank you :)**

 **Oh and if you read my Supernatural fic, there will be no update today! But tomorrow for sure :)**

 **And oh my god guys! I never thought i'd have this many reviews one one fic! Over 200 you guys, over 200! That's amazing! Thanks to every single person that supported me and read and reviews, favourited and followed, I love every single one of you even if you hated it :) Thank you!**

 **..**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

Ash, Scott and Tyler rush over to their Mom, hugging her tightly. Stiles to his Dad and Allison to her Dad. The betas and Peter have been out to scope the building for anyone still here and to find the cars so we can get out of here.

"Mom!" Ash starts crying, hugging her tightly without hesitation or care for the wounds that litter her body. Chris looks at me over Allison's shoulder. He gives me a nod. I return it and back out of the room, deciding to give the emotional families some privacy. The relief and gratefulness rolls off the pack in waves. Their tears of joy and sniffle of tears fill the silence. I can't help but feel a pang in my chest for my own family. These teenagers and young adults are _so_ relieved and happy to have finally found their loved ones and..my pack, me and Peter don't really have anyone. I know that's not entirely true, that the others are like family but there's a difference between family and _family_. I don't know. I just wish I could hug my Mom and thank god that she's okay..but I can't. And I never can. I sigh shakily and run a hand down my face. I walk down a hallway, claws out in case I run into more of Gerard's guards. In the distance, I hear the betas take out a few stray guards. I focus my hearing and hear their heartbeats still thumping steadily, telling me they're okay. There shouldn't be more than a few still here, they were packing pretty heavy to come after us. I find a door. It's deadlocked shut. It takes abit of alpha werewolf strength to get it open. My face falls. Using my eyes, I can see her tails..well tail. She's got 1. She can't be older than 16. She's kitsune. And she's dead just like Gerard said. This must be Crystal.. Damn.

"Ash." I call out loud enough for her ears to hear. I hear her footsteps, her's and Scott's. I turn to find Scott helping her walk.

"Derek, what is it.." She trails off, sighing sadly as she looks inside.

"I'm sorry Ash." I say. Tears build in the girl's eyes. She pulls away from Scott, limping into the room. Scott and I turn around, giving her privacy but still keeping an eye out. I shut my own eyes when I hear her start to cry. I hate the sound of her crying. It's painful, especially when there's nothing I can do to make things better. I turn to Scott. "Stay with her, i'm gonna keep looking." I say, unable to just there and listen anymore. She's been through enough already, and now this?

"Okay." Scott nods, a little teary-eyed himself. I clap his shoulder as I pass him. I continue down the hall. I stop when I hear a heartbeat. It's weak though. It's behind another locked door. Something's in here. I don't bother being quiet, I kick the door in, my eyes flaring up red as I expect to find more of Gerard's men. I don't find that. Not at all.

"D-Derek?" That voice. My eyes widen in shock when I meet the girl's eyes. Those chocolate brown eyes. Just like Mom's. She's sitting on the ground, leaning againist the wall with a split lip and black eye.

"Cora?" I ask, stepping towards her. "Cora?" She nods. I rush to her side. She hugs me tightly, starting to cry. I hug her back immediantly. This is..this is my little sister.

"D-Derek." She sobs. "You're alive."

"I thought I..I thought I lose you." I say, squeezing my stinging eyes shut. She shakes her head.

"I-I got out." Cora tells me. Then I breath in her scent. I pull back, glassey eyes studying my younger sister with a concerned frown.

"Cora..what happened to you?" I ask. She sniffs, wiping her eyes.

"After everything with Gerard and-and the blood..I..the wolf part of me is broken." She tells me. "I still have her, but..but i'm not a wolf anymore." Cora says sadly. I pull her to me again, hugging her.

"I'm so sorry Cora." I apologise. She sobs againist me. Cora was the wolf they used to help Dante. This must be who Ash saw.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"I'm so sorry." I whisper, holding Crystal in my arms.

"Ash." Scott says, kneeling down beside me. He squeezes my shoulder. "I'm so sorry." I give him a sad smile.

"I'm gonna bury her. I'm not leaving her in here." I tell Scott, looking down at the young girl's face.

"I'll carry her." Scott offers. I nod as I can't even walk properly let alone carry her. Scott takes Crystal into his arms and I pull myself to my feet. I follow him out, using the wall to keep myself upright. Everyone's in the main section. Everyone but Derek. I look around. I go to call out but then I see him. And the girl I saw in my flashbacks of this place. I go over to them.

"She's alive." I sigh in relief.

"I..I saw you." The girl says, looking up at me. Derek's got an arm around her waist, keeping her up. She must be really hurt. "You were h-here as well." I nod.

"Ash." Derek says. I look up at him. "Ash, this is Cora. My sister Cora." He tells me. My eyes widen. Cora looks at Derek, unsure of my reaction. Holy crap. This is Cora. This is the sister he loves so much.

"I'm Ashlee. I'm with Derek's pack." I tell her. She smiles weakly, nodding. I can't say i'm a part of his pack because i'm not. He's not my alpha. But I do walk with them.

"Um..Cora's human." Derek tells me. My face falls. But I don't ask anymore questions about it. Gerard did something to her. I don't think she'd want to talk about that. "Do you think Melissa could take a look at her?" Derek asks me. I nod.

"Of course. Come on." I say. I lead them over to Mom. "Mom, this is Derek's sister Cora. She's um..can you give up a once-over before we go? Just to make sure she's okay to travel?" I ask her. She nods. I see the pack's eyes widen, especially Chris'. Melissa helps Cora to sit down so she can run a routine check. Derek comes over to me, still glancing worriedly at his sister. "Derek, is she okay?" I ask in a low whisper. He looks at me.

"I-I don't know." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "She said..after the tests with Gerard..her wolf part is broken. She still has her wolf but _she's_ not a wolf. She can't shift." Derek tells me quietly.

"Maybe..I don't know, maybe Deaton can help." I say, trying to help him to calm down. He nods, still glancing at her. "Hey, she's gonna be okay either way." I tell him, squeezing his hand. He nods, giving me a small smile. He looks past me at Scott and then back to me again. He sees Crystal. "I'm..i'm gonna bury her. She doesn't deserve to stay here." I say. He nods, bringing my hand to his mouth to kiss it.

"Derek." I let his hand go and we both turn around. Peter walks in with the betas. "You might want to come see this." Peter says. Chris' eyes widen again when he sees, a very alive, Peter Hale.

"I'll stay with Cora." I assure him. He nods his thanks and follows Peter out. I go over to Cora and Mom.

"Tell me something..was that-was that Peter?" Cora asks me. I nod.

"Yeah. It's a really long story but it's him." I assure her. She nods, smiling a little. I know she'll be happy to know more of her family survived..but one of the Hales are going to have to tell her what happened with Laura and Peter. Derek comes back out, Peter and the betas in tow. "Is everything okay?" I ask Peter.

"Yeah." He nods. "We're safe now. There was a doctor. We made him deploy the pores, those Croatoans, if there's any still out there, they'll be dead in minutes." He tells me. I smile in relief. That as another worry of mine but I wasn't ready to voice it yet.

"Is the doctor still alive?" Mom asks, having heard Peter.

"No." Peter tells her. She looks a little disappointed. I put my hand on her arm.

"Trust me, the did the right thing." I assure my mother. The doctors are the ones that did the tests to me and Cora and Crystal, they're the ones that made Dante into that _thing_. All under Gerard's orders. They knew what they were doing was wrong and un-natural. They deserved to die.

"And we found this." Derek says, holding a book out to me. I take it, looking down at it.

"The bestiary." I realise, remembering the cover of this book. Derek nods. I hand it back to him. "This is gonna come in handy." I say. Derek nods, sliding it into his jacket.

"You're dehydrated and you need to eat something. You definitely need sleep too." Mom tells Cora. "Other than that, it's cuts and bruises that I can't work on right now, i'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Thank you." Cora thanks her. "Can we just get..get out of here?" She asks. Derek nods, slipping an arm around her waist again. Peter's eyes finally fall to the younger girl. He walks up to Derek and Cora hugs him tightly. We all walk outside and let them have their own private reunion. The betas have brought over cars up. I can say hello to my car soon thought, there's something I have to do first. Scott smiles sadly at me.

"Can you guys find us some shovels?" Scott asks Boyd and Isaac. Both betas nod in understanding and head towards the barn outside the building. I go over to Scott. I brush Crystal's hair out of her face. Mom walks over as well.

"Who was she?" Mom asks me.

"This isn't gonna make sense to you, but uh..I knew her from my 2 year hiatus. She was a part of my pack. A kitsune, a werefox." I tell her.

"Chris didn't mention kitsune." She says. I look at her suprised.

"We had time. I decided to tell them the truth." Chris says. I give him a thankful nod.

"I bet she was strong." Mom says to me. I smile at her.

"She was." I nod.

"So, werejaguar, huh?" Mom nudges me. "Werewolf?" She asks Scott. We both smile sheepishly. "We can talk about it at home." Mom smiles, seeing Boyd and Isaac bringing over 2 shovels. Scott gently lays Crystal on the ground and takes the other shovel as i've taken the first one. The pack take a minute to catch their breath and file through the supplies we have left in the cars while Scott and I dig. I climb into the grave. Scott helps me lower her inside carefully. He holds his hand out to me and I take it. He pulls me out and we silently fill the grave with dirt. Everyone gathers around once that's done and we give a moment of silence and I pay my respects. I take another moment on my own while the others get in the cars.

"I'm really sorry this happened to you Chrysy. I missed you every day after I left and I bet you easily took my place, becoming strong and.." I wipe my eyes. "Rest easy Crystal." I whisper. Scott's waiting for me. He helps me walk and get into the Mustang. "I've missed you baby." I say to my car with a soft smile.

Scott's driving us home, Mom in the front seat with Tyler in her lap. Ty's missed her like crazy and i'm so happy to see that soft twinkle in his eye again as Mom kisses his head. Me, Lydia and Erica are in the backseat. I like Erica, she's really nice and she looks out for her pack.

Stiles is driving his Jeep home. He's got his Dad in the passenger's and Allison and Chris in the backseat.

Derek drives the Camaro home, Cora in the passenger's. He's got Peter, Isaac and Boyd in the back seat.

We start the long drive home. But it's the most welcome long drive. We finally get to go home. All of us are safe, all of us are alive. We've even got a new person. Derek's found his sister he thought he lost all those years ago. I'm really happy for him. Me, Erica and Lydia end up falling on each other, drifting off to sleep.

..

..

 **Everyone's okay! I was seriously thinking of killing of someone but I couldn't decide and I didn't want it be just be for shock value so they're all okay :) Well..Ash is really banged up but she's badass! Maybe the next time around someone will die but not now. I did say I had another suprise..Cora's here! So instead of losing someone, besides Crystal to Ash :(, the pack gained someone :) For now.. This is what I was talking about with Derek taking off for a little while, or a long while, because of Cora. But that was just an idea. I'm not sure. Cora will want to return to South America but she's sort of human now so Derek might go with her..but we don't know for how long..or if he'll ever come back. Hmm? I'm still thinking the idea over though. But** _ **if**_ **it did happen, Ash would take a little trip of her own :) And since in the programme we know close to nothing about where Cora's been during the 6 years Derek thought she was dead (besides South America) and we don't know what she was doing..I was thinking for my version of season 3, i'm not following the show, it could revolve around that, what Cora was doing etc. And something's going to sneak up on her and the pack and be season 3's big bad' :) What do you think? Favourite, follow and review!**


	38. Home Sweet Home

**Thanks for the ideas and support for season 3 guys!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***AlphaWolf19-I saw how long your review was and smiled :D I love your ramblings! Yes, I knew Cora coming in would be a shock but I good shock I hope :) I was thinking of throwing in some flashbacks of Ashlee and Crystal so you'd see their relationship and everything so i'll look at doing that. You should both seasons :) That is going to be bad, in a good way! Actually, I never really understood that 'inner person' thing either. Kate was a murdere, and she sucks, but why a jaguar? Jaguars are amazing creatures. I sort of understood Jackson being the kanima though, how he's a 'snake' or whatever. Hmm. Derek did say in one epsiode on the show that who you are** _ **can**_ **reflect what you become but I don't really know. I may have to reflect on this too now. Thank you! I hope season 3's everything you hope it too be :)**

 ***Serena Sterling-'Hypnotizing' 3 By the way, every time you put in words, i'm going to choose my favourite :3 Yay, glad you liked that I brought in Cora :)**

 ***Tesla424-How did you know, you genius! Yes, I really want to explore the 6 years unaccounted on Cora so season 3 will center around, at least, 1 of the things she did. And it's not all 'good' things ;) Thanks :)**

 ***Bre-I think they will, they won't break-up (not that they're offical anyway), but Derek's going to help Cora and Ashlee is going to do her own thing with herself, family and pack. But! They'll see each other again for sure! Have hope :)**

 ***wildanimal1-Thank you! I will give you more :)**

 ***Guest-That idea is sort of where i'm going with the beginning of my season 3 :)**

 **Thanks you amazing people 3 Enjoy!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I jolt awake when we hit a bump. My eyes flutter open. A smile comes to my lips when I see the 'You Are Now Entering Beacon Hills' sign.

It's been 2 days, 48 hours, of straight driving. We barely stopped for more than 5 minutes, that's if we did stop at all. We swapped drivers, all took of turns. And now we're home. We're finally home.

Mom's driving now. She leads the other 2 cars to our house. When she pulls into the driveway, alot of emotions course through my body. Happiness. Relief. The best one is the content that settles in my gut at all the familiar surroundings. The content that settles in my gut when everyone gets out of their cars, relief filling them as well. The content that settles in my gut when Mom grabs Scott and Tyler, hugging them tightly. The content that settles in my gut when Cora hugs Peter and Derek. The content that settles in my gut when Isaac, Erica and Boyd all hug each other, making sure they're okay. The content that settles in my gut as I see John smile proudly as Stiles grabs Lydia and finally kisses her. The content that settles in my gut when Lydia kisses him back and they hug tightly. The content that settles in my gut when Chris pulls Scott into a hug. Then finally, the content that settles in my gut when I see each and every one of them smiling. I get out of the car, smiling softly. We're home, we're finally home. Things aren't perfect in this pack, far from it. But right now, nothing could ruin this moment.

"Ash, we're home." I look down beside me. Tyler smiles up at me. I smile back, lifting him up with a little pain and hug him. Mom comes over, throwing her arm over my shoulders but being careful of my wounded shoulder.

"You okay? Still hurting?" She asks me.

"Right now, it doesn't matter." I tell her. "Look how happy they are."

"I know. I've been told alot of that has to do with you, Derek as well." Mom says. I chuckle.

"Yeah..I guess that 'Daniel' thing didn't stick, huh?" I ask. She chuckles this time.

"No." She shakes her head with a smile. "Chris filled John and I in about everything while we were in there. And I gotta say, enough though I can't really believe i'm saying this, you picked the right boyfriend." She praises.

"Oh..he's not my boyfriend." I tell her. Derek meets my eyes and I smile. He smiles back whole-heartedly. It reaches his eyes, shows his dimples, the whole 9 yards.

"You keep telling yourself that Ash." Mom whispers to me, seeing Derek smile. She chuckles and takes Tyler from my arms. "Go on." She nudges me. I give her a nod and walk over to Derek. He walks away from his betas and comes over to me.

"How're you feeling?" He asks me, looking over my covered wounds, feather-lightly touching his fingers to them.

"I'll heal." I say. I step forward, wrapping my arms around his torso. He brings his arms around my lower back, hugging me too but being cautious of my hip. "I'm so glad we're all okay." I whisper so only he'll hear.

"I know, I am too." He says. We pull back and Derek brushes some of my hair behind my ear. He smiles before leaning in and capturing my lips in his. I kiss him back, my arms coming up to drape of his shoulders as his hands stay on my lower back, holding me close. We pull back, resting our foreheads together. "I'm really glad you're okay." He says to me. I smile, pecking his lips again softly. We pull away completely when the pack start to come over.

"Where will you all go?" I ask Derek, looking at his betas. We weren't exactly on speaking terms the last time we were in Beacon Hills together so I don't know where they're all staying.

"I've found an abandoned train depot for now." Peter tells me. I nod, giving him a small smile which he returns.

"We should go, we all need to settle back in again." Derek says. We all say our goodbyes for now to Derek's pack and Peter and Cora. I check on Cora again and she assures me she's okay. Derek gives Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Allison and squeeze on the shoulder in an alpha display of appreciation and sincerity. Tyler practically jumps out of Mom's arms to hug the alpha werewolf. Mom looks suprised, wide-eyed. But Scott gives her an assuring smile, telling her everything's okay. "I have to go bud, but i'll see you soon, alright?" Derek says, putting Tyler back down.

"Okay." Tyler says. "Bye Derek." He says, waving as Derek gets in the car. Derek can't help but smile back at the boy. Derek's definitly got a soft spot for Tyler. And I know Tyler's much happier again now that Derek's back around. His little heart was hurting while Derek and I were fighting. They leave, the 6 of them piled in the Camaro. Next, Stiles goes in the Jeep, he takes his Dad, Allison and her Dad and Lydia, planning to drop them all off before him and John go home. We're all exhausted. We want showers and sleep, maybe even a bite to eat if we can be bothered. Mom, Tyler, Scott and I go into the house, the warmly-familiar house.

None of us see the eyes that watch from the trees. The eyes that just studied the pack's entire exchange steadily..maybe even in interest, watching how we are together. And none of us see as they disappear either, vanishing into the treeline.

..

I've showered and eaten, Mom insisted we all eat and she cooked. I've assured myself and my jaguar that my family's okay. I've text Lydia and Stiles to check on them and their families, Scott checked in with Allison. I text Derek too, checking in on Cora, Peter and him and his betas. Everything's fine. Everyone's fine. Now, I can finally let myself relax. I'm almost asleep, eyelids drooping, when my bed moves. I sit up but an arm slips around my waist, pulling me back down.

"It's just me." Derek whispers. I turn to face him. I smile and he returns it. "Good to be home, right?"

"Yeah." I nod. "It feels more like home now though..now you're here.." I say, ducking my head to hide my face. I can practically feel him smile. "That was such a sickly cute thing to say." I cringe. He chuckles.

"I'm too tired to make fun of it." He teases, making me chuckle.

"How's Cora doing?" I ask him.

"She's still abit shaken up. She's with Peter though." He says. "But she's okay. I know she's upset about her wolf but..there's nothing we can do right now. I'm taking her to see Deaton tomorrow."

"That's a good idea." I say.

"I want you to come and let him check you over as well." Derek says. I'm about to object but he looks so tired and hopeful that i'll just agree..so I do.

"Okay." I nod. "I'll come with you and Cora tomorrow."

"Good." He smiles. "I uh..I offered Cora the bite..to see if that'd change anything. She said no." He tells me, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I think she wants a normal life, even if just for a little while."

"That's not a bad thing though, right?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"No, if anyone deserves it, it's her." He says. I smile, leaning my head againist his chest. "She was real interested about you." He tells me, his chest rumbling againist my cheek as he speaks.

"Me?" I ask Derek.

" _Us_. She caught me sneaking out to come here." He tells me sheepishly.

"Oh.." I say. It falls quiet and I need to break it. "Um..what'd she say?" I ask, some of my nerves bleeding into my tone. Cora's really important to Derek and i'd like to get to know her and be friends with her..I just hope she's not againist what Derek and I have and that she actually likes me.

"That I made a good choice because you're so pretty." He tells me with a smile. I chuckle, cheeks heating up a little.

"That was nice of her."

"She's right." Derek says. I look up at him.

"You think i'm pretty?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.

"I think you're gorgeous." He says. He smiles when my cheeks flush a dark red. I chuckle in embarassment. He leans forward and kisses me. I kiss him back, leaning into him and threading my fingers through both of his hands. I pull back and nuzzle my nose againist his softly. I must be tired, i'm acting so..mushy.

"I'm tired." I say. "I'm gonna go to bed. You don't have to stay." I tell him. He just moves so we're cuddling again. I smile to myself.

"They'll be fine with Peter. Night." He whispers, kissing my head.

"Night Derek." I say, closing my eyes.

..

..

 **Those eyes? Not threatening, not right now anyway. So..I was re-reading the reviews and gathering together some ideas from them. No, I won't be doing season 3 from the tv show but I do have a couple ideas for a new 'big-bad' with my own twist with maybe some inspiration from the actual show. But that's for later..right now, they can relax and decide what they're going to do now that that threat's gone. Favourite, follow and review!**


	39. Now That We're Home

**Credit to the original artists for the music!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-'Stunning' 3 Mmm hmm eyes ;) Not giving anything away!**

 ***AlphaWolf19-I had to laugh about dropping your ipod on your eye, I just had too :P But yes, I think it is about the animal and what it symbolizes. You always leave long reviews, its cool :) No, people watching you from the trees isn't normal XD Well..unless you're creeper Derek in season 1 :P Glad you liked the Cora shock! I wished Cora got more time too and that her and Derek were actually happy to see each other, I mean you thought each othere were dead and you're not! Be a little more happy please! I'm going to have Hale fluff because I can :3 I'm sure your dog is adorable anyway :) I'm taking your advice and having some Crystal flashbacks and reflection in this chapter so except some sad Ash!**

 ***Guest-I haven't watched all the season 5 episodes yet but I do see their similarities :) Glad you like it!**

 ***Taffy and Sweetrolls-Yes :)**

 ***SimplyTxylor-Yay :) Have some more!**

 ***Bree-I know, right! There's a little more on that in this chapter actually! Now that they're safe and 'normal', people are catching on very fast that they're more than friends ;)**

 ***Tesla424-Yeah :) They can relax for a little because i'm excited to start season 3!**

 **Enjoy you lovely people! I still can't believe this has 200+ reviews and counting 3**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up in the very early hours of the morning. I stay still and I can hear Derek's even breathing from beside me, the male's flipped over and facing the wall. I bite my tongue, trying to slip out of bed silently. I actually manage to do it. Well, jaguars are quite sneaky compared to the wolf. I don't know. All I know is i'm in the bathroom and Derek's still asleep which is a successful, the wolf has razor hearing. Well, I got my wish from awhile back when Derek and I were fighting..I have the damn wolf in my bed. And I couldn't be more happy about that.

I close the bathroom door behind me. I had strange dreams last night. About Crystal. And Laura, well what I can remember of her anyway. I keep the light off and make my eyes glow. I just look in the mirror at my reflection. That brilliant green.

 _I have alot of good memories with Crystal from back then. Back then wasn't good but I have moments with her that were good, they helped me get by._

 _"So you got to graduate high school?" Crystal asks me as we roam the woods for firewood and possible prey._

 _"Yeah. Top of my classes." I grin triumphantly._

 _"I was pretty smart too." She says. "Well, during the time I was there."_

 _"I bet you would have been." I say, giving her a soft smile. I feel bad for Crystal. She's_ _so_ _young. She's the youngest of us all, everyone else is my age or older. I just don't understand why Dante did this to her. Why he stole her away from her school and friends and turned her? I walked in here, I didn't really have a choice. I'd expose them so he turned me too. "So..speaking of high school, did you have a high school sweetheart?" I ask her, wiggling my eyebrows. We both laugh._

 _"I was working on it, yeah." She says, turning a light red._

 _"Well? Spill." I say. The young girl's blue eyes meet mine. She nods, falling into the grass on her butt, all her auburn hair flopping down with her. I sit down beside her much less dramatically._

 _"His name was Nathaniel." She tells me._

 _"Sounds pretty cute." I tease her, nudging her. She giggles._

 _"He was. He used to walk me to every class and pick my up after class. He'd leave me flowers in my locker and..we just..we never got to actually say the words to each other, you know?" She says, frowning a little._

 _"Hey, I bet he knew. And I bet he loved you as well." I assure her. She nods, still looking a little down. Crystal's like a little sister to me. I like to have these talks with her so she can remember what it was like to be human. Me and her, we're not like the others. We have hearts, we still feel and care. It seems like they don't, especially Dante. I plan to take her with me when I leave, because I am leaving this pack once i've figured something out. She's not as excited about the idea as I am. She's alot more obediant and loyal to Dante than I am. I tried to be, I did try, but in return he hurt us and he doesn't deserve it. He doesn't deserve to be honored like he is. Of course, i'm not going to stand up and say that, i've seen what happens when you do. So I bite my tongue and I hope one day Crystal will turn around and agree to come with me._

 _"Well, what about you? There must have been a special boyfriend or finace back home." Crystal says, looking at me. I chuckle._

 _"No. There's been a few boyfriends and it hasn't worked out." I tell her._

 _"More like a friends with benefits thing?" She asks with a chuckle. I scoff playfully and nudge her._

 _"I'm not like that." I object, a smile pulling at my lips._

 _"Come on, you can not tell me you haven't been 'seeing' a guy strictly to 'see his guy' before." She says, wiggling her eyebrows now. I burst out laughing at her explanation of sex._

 _"Maybe..sort of. I wasn't 100% sure." I admit. "I started thinking it was going somewhere after all the..'seeing his guy' but it never did. He kind of pulled away and then I just told him to stay gone then and he did." I shrug._

 _"Man, that sucks, what a jerk." She says._

 _"It's okay, I brought it on myself. Don't ever sleep with someone on the first..encounter. Actually, just don't sleep with anyone." I tell her. She laughs._

 _"Yeah right. You couldn't do that."_

 _"Yes I could." I defend._

 _"I doubt it." She chuckles. I shove her playfully and get up, shifting and taking off into a sprint. The werefox is fast though and catches up after a few seconds._

I sigh sadly. I said I was going to get her out. Even though she wasn't that fond of the idea, I should have tried harder. Now look at her..she's..she's gone. And I could have stopped that. I slide onto the floor, leaning againist the door. I can't help that tears that come to the front of my eyes, slipping down my cheeks.

"Ash?" Derek calls out sleepily, knocking on the door. I sniff and he sighs. "Ash, let me in."

"No." I shake my head, my tears clear in my cracking voice.

"Ash. Come on." He says. We both know he could just 'alpha' through the door but even Derek isn't that stupid to invade my privacy like that.

"Just go back to the pack Derek." I say, hanging my head into my hands. I hear Derek sit down on the floor too and he leans againist the door too.

"You think it was your fault, don't you?" He asks through the door. "Crystal..?"

"What?" I ask. How'd he even know that?

"You were mumbling in your sleep earlier." He tells me. I sigh, wiping my eyes. Of course. "You know, it's not your fault, right?" He asks. I don't answer him. Of course it's my fault. I could have done something and prevented all the crap she went through with Gerard but I didn't. "You gave her a choice Ash, you gave her the opportunity and she said no. That's not on you. You don't want to blame yourself for this, you don't want this looming over you all your life..trust me." Derek says, sighing a little. Hearing him say that just makes me more upset because I know he's referencing himself. "I know she was young, and I know you really cared about her but she knew the danger that came with staying. No, she didn't deserve it but you don't deserve this either." He says.

"What if I could have changed it?" I ask her.

"What if I could have changed the fire?" He asks me. "It doesn't matter because it's done. Yeah, you might carry a little guilt around with you forever but you can't blame yourself for something you didn't have full control over." Derek tells me.

"I should have tried harder." I say quietly, rubbing my hands down my face. "And then I just left anyway..I just left her with them and now look."

"When my Mom used to teach me control, she used to say that she can try and try and give all the advice in the world, but unless _I_ try and _I_ put in the effort then i'm never gonna learn it." He says. "And you know what? I didn't learn. Not until after the fire. Not until Peter took it into his own hands to teach me through anger. My point is, she had to want it for herself too, she had to take the risk..and she didn't. And i'm sorry."

"You never told me any of that before." I say, turning my head to look at the door.

"It didn't seem important." He says.

"Anything good you can hold on to about your family's important." I say, thinking about my own family too. Sometimes I think of the few good memories I have with Dad and that sometimes helps soothe the pain of him being an absent dick in my life now.

"If you come to bed, i'll tell you more." He coaxes. "Yeah?" I can hear the smile in his voice because he knows i'm going to agree. I stand up and open the door. Yeah, he knew, he's already up and waiting. I sigh and wipe my eyes again. He pulls me into a hug, rubbing my back. "I promise you, it wasn't your fault. If there was something else you could have done, you would have, but there wasn't." He says. I nod into his neck, slowly letting go of the saddness inside of me from the dreams and seeing those memories. "Come on, it's 2am. We need some sleep." He says, pulling back. I nod and slip back into bed with him. He holds an arm out and I move so I can lay down in it. He pulls me closer, keeping the arm around me like a protective barrier. He's careful of my shoulder and side, my arm's feeling better. It's suprising how fast I fall asleep again once i'm in his arms.

..

"Sure sweetie, i'll grab Ash for you." I wake to my Mom's voice. I groan, tucking my head under Derek's arm to try hide myself. There's a few knocks on my door before it's opened. Cora and Mom stand at the door.

"Oh..sorry." Cora cringes awkwardly, obviously not thinking her brother would be in here as well. Derek and I both just pull the blanket over us in a way of saying 'piss off, we're still sleeping'.

"Come on, we'll wait downstairs and they'll be down in _5 minutes_." Mom says pointedly, telling us we literally only have 5 minutes to get up. She shuts the door and the two begin to walk away.

"How are you so cool about that?" I hear Cora asks Mom. Mom chuckles.

"It's not the first time." She tells Cora.

"Gross." Cora says. They both chuckle.

"Yeah." Mom agrees. I frown, peaking my head out to look at Derek.

"Dude, they just called us gross." I tell him. He mumbles something incohenrant in response and leans his face on my back. "And you don't care?" This time I hear him say 'no'. I chuckle and pull out of his grip to get up. I've never seen Derek make tired grabby hands before. I chuckle, not giving in. "Get up, we have to go see Deaton." I say, turning towards my drawers. He groans and gets out of bed. He's a friggin' moody werewolf this morning. He shuffles over to me and kisses my head before going into the bathroom. I get changed into skinny jeans and a sweater since there's a chill in the air. He comes out and pulls his shirt back on before we both head downstairs. Scott's coming out of his room at the same time. He smiles at me but his face falls into a cringe when he sees a yawning Derek behind me. I roll my eyes at him as we keep walking.

"Morning." Mom says, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Morning." I say sweetly, giving her a wide smile. "Hey Cora." I greet the girl.

"Hey." She smiles. Derek goes over to her and does the 'big brother who thought you were dead for 6 years but you're not' thing, making sure she's okay and everything was okay last night.

"How'd you get here?" Derek asks her.

"I snagged your keys when you tried to sneak out last night." She says with an innocent smile, revealing them in her hand. Derek actually looks impressed, but horrified that she drove his car. She's Scott's age..Scott can't drive around by himself so I don't think she can either.

"Tried?" Mom questions.

"I caught him." Cora says. "He tried to tell me he was going for a run, not over to his girlfriend's house." And there's that word again. That stupid gender specification with the word 'friend' thrown on the end. It falls awkwardly quiet and Mom's giving me a pained look.

"We should go. Deaton will be waiting." I speak up, breaking it. I say goodbye to Mom and yell out a bye to Scott but I think he's already asleep again, Tyler's still asleep too. I decide to take my car, giving the siblings some space in Derek's. I find a radio station and drive behind the Camaro in my Mustang, tapping my fingers in time to the music.

 _We touch, I feel a rush_

 _We clutch, it isn't much_

 _But it's enough to make wonder what's in-store for us_

 _It's lust_

 _It's torturous_

 _You must be a sorceress 'cause you just did the impossible_

 _Gained my trust, don't play games it'll be dangerous_

I reach over and turn the radio off. I'm not going to comment on who that song reminds me of. Damn. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. Those words, boyfriend, girlfriend, they've been popping up more and more lately. Who cares? It's just an unnecessary title, right? Derek's still mine and i'm still his..sort of. Crap. I don't know.

..

 **Derek's p.o.v**

"So. She's not your girlfriend?" Cora asks from bedside me. I turn to glare at her to stop talking but her eyes are more focused out the window at the scenery anyway.

"No. She's not." I say, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"Why not? I mean, she's obviously a great girl so I don't understand."

"Yeah. She is. We just..we're just not putting labels on things." I say, keeping my eyes on the road.

"You're sleeping together but not putting labels on it? That's kind of backwards, don't you think?" I turn to my sister with a screwed up face. How'd she even know we were sleeping together? "Oh, and I didn't actually know, your face gave it all away just then." She explains, looking at me with a smirk.

"Can we talk about something else?" I ask.

"You should hurry up and make it offical, you don't want to give her the wrong idea." Cora says, ignoring my request.

"What does that mean?" I find myself asking.

"It's like..calling dibbs on the front seat. Everyone calls dibbs but the person that gets the seat is the one that gets there first and claims it." She says.

"Did you just refer to Ash as a seat?" I ask my sister, raising an eyebrow.

"Or a cat at a pet store, that's more relevant." She says. I raise the other eyebrow. "Shut up, you know what I mean." She says, nudging me. "And you know i'm right. You've got two male betas, Peter even." She says flippantly. I frown. What? No. No.. "Relax Derek, i'm joking." She assures me. "All i'm saying is, it can't hurt to let her and everybody else know that she's _your_ girlfriend and completely unavailable to anyone other than you. Your wolf would prefer it too." Cora says. I nod slowly, that makes sense..I guess? My last real girlfriend, with that title, was Paige. And I was 16. That was a little while ago. Kate wasn't a girlfriend, thank god, she was a..the front seat that everybody called _and_ got dibbs on, you know?

It's weird how easily Cora and I have slipped back into being brother and sister. She's just not a little girl anymore and i'm not a awkward jock teenager anymore either. Things have changed, of course they have. I guess i'm just wondering what Cora wants to do now that this is all over. I mean, she could come stay with the pack but I don't think she'd want too. Does that mean she'll go back to South America? Or get her own place in Beacon Hills? Or go somewhere completely new? I don't know, that's a conversation we need to have. And soon.

..

..

 **See what I meant about Derek leaving, you sort of see now? So..everyone's sort of pushing the boyfriend/girlfriend titles on the pair, will they take them? Or are they happy the way they are? I just can't imagine Derek asking a girl out. I don't know. Seems OOC to me, but hey, I do quite abit of OOC so i'm open to it :) Favourite, follow and review!**


	40. I Need A Little Reassurance

**Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-'Dazzling' 3 I've decided to put a little 'flirting conflict' in here, it's not even really anything but with Cora telling him those thing last chapter, his wolf's a little worried :3**

 ***AlphaWolf19-It's a good line, right? You may use it :) Damn, i'm starting to like Crystal's characeter too now :( Good point, Derek just stood where he was a little out of sight and watched Scott XD Jeff Davis, you bastard! Like the fire wasn't bad enough, he had to do that! :( Argh. I don't like Malia, I just don't. But I definitely agree that they under-did the Hale relationships. Definitely agree with that one. That description, with the seat, was the first thing that came to mind XD Yeah, she has her wolf but she can't shift. There's a little on it in the very beginning..Cora's actually okay with it though. No tree-stalker! But he/she is still out there!**

 ***Bre-He's not going to ask her out exactly but he does get some feelings off his chest :3**

 ***Tesla424-I love Melissa's reactions, like 'argh. Not this again' *dramatic motherly eyeroll*. Yes! Hale fluff!**

 **So..next chapter will have a revealation or whatever in it and it's going to open the door up for season 3! So in a couple chapters, season 3 will be starting! Just letting you know, it's going to be different to last season, no ransom call and kidnapped parents, it actually starts with a holiday and i'm not saying who or where but that's all i'm giving away for now :) Enjoy!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"What can you do for her?" Derek asks Deaton.

"I'm sorry but, there's nothing I can do." Deaton says sincerely, looking between Derek and Cora. "You're wolf's in..a sort of 'hibernation' Cora. Whatever Gerard did caused her to close in on herself, maybe out of fear, until she's refused to come out. When she's ready, she'll wake back up. But I will tell you now, I have _no_ idea when they will be. There's nothing I can do to hurry that up, i'm sorry."

"What do mean 'nothing'?" Derek asks, stepping towards him.

"Hey, Derek." Cora says, catching his arm. "It's okay-"

"It's not okay." He cuts her off. "If you can't shift then how are you gonna protect yourself, huh? You can't." He stresses.

"Derek-" Cora tries. Deaton and I just watch one as the two siblings bicker.

"We have to find a way-"

"Derek, listen to me-"

"If I bite you then-"

"Derek, I don't want this anymore!" Cora yells.

"What?" Derek asks.

"I-I don't want this life anymore." She says. "I love my wolf and I loved our family but..but look at everything that's happened because of what we are. The fire, the hunters, Gerard. I..I wanna be normal, for once. Maybe I want a family of my own, a human family, I don't know. But I know i'm _done_ living like this. I can't take it anymore." She says, her eyes welling with tears. "Maybe my wolf wakes back up and maybe she doesn't..but for now I can be normal."

"Deaton.." I say, grabbing his sleeve. He nods and the both of us go into the back room where they keep the cats. Deaton shuts the door, giving the siblings their privacy. Derek had an idea that maybe Cora would want some normal in her life..I just don't think he expected her to want out completely. Maybe her wolf being in this 'hibernation' is a good thing? She can have the life she wants, the life she _deserves_.

Deaton starts to do his rounds with the cats and their young. I walk down the hall, eyes scanning over the cats. I feel a strange rumble in my chest. My eyes widen when a sound errupts from my throat. Deaton chuckles and wants over to me.

"Was that..?" I ask.

"Yes." He nods. He opens the cage in front of me and brings out the tiny fluffball of a kitten I was looking out. "Here." He says, holding it out to me. "His name's Tiger, he's orphaned." He tells me. I take the appropriately named kitten, as it looks like a little tiger with the orange and black stripes too, into my hands. Then that sound comes from me again.

"Why am I.. _purring_?" I ask, shocked.

"Because he's like you-feline. And he likes you and he like him." Deaton says with a soft smile as the tiny kitten smooches my hands. "Maybe we should use this time for me to check you over." Deaton says. I sigh and nod. Tiger goes away again and I follow Deaton into another examining room.

"What do you need me to do?" I ask him.

"Derek said your shoulder, hip and arm." Deaton says and I nod. "We're going to have to unwrap them and have a proper look." He says. I nod reluctantly. I pull my jumper off, putting it on the table. I slowly unwrap the bandages around my torso first. Then the one on my shoulder comes off and finally, I unwrap my arm. Deaton comes over and starts to inspect them.

"How bad?" I ask him.

"Your shoulder's fine, the scar just needs a day to heal." He tells me. I look at it and he's right, nothing more than a scar. Thank god. Now I don't have to cover it. "Your arm needs another day as well, keep it covered though." He tells me. I nod, a smile coming to my lips at the good news.

"And my hip?" I ask, moving my arms so he can get a proper look. It's an angry red, the skin still trying to attach. I cringe..it isn't looking too good.

"It's going to need a few days." He tells me. I nod and look down at my feet.

"My old scars..where he did it..will they still be there?" I ask in a quiet voice.

"I'm afraid so." Deaton tells me. I sigh. I didn't expect good news though. They were already scars and Dante sliced them open again. I just hoped for good news I guess. "Here, let me wrap those 2 up again." Deaton says, finding some clean bandages. I nod.

"Thank you." I say as he starts with my arm first. We do this in a comfortable silence. Deaton starts on my hip and I can't help the growl that escapes my lips when I feel a sharp jab of pain. "Sorry." I mutter. It's still quite tender, I didn't realise until it'd been unwrapped. I cringe in pain a few times but let Deaton finish. "Thanks." I say, pulling my hoodie back on.

"It's okay." Deaton nods. I jump up and sit on the table, waiting for Derek and Cora to finish with their 'conversation'. "Do you think Cora's right?" Deaton asks me, breaking the silence. I turn my head to look at him.

"What do you mean?" I ask the vet.

"That she can leave this life behind."

"I think after everything she's been through, if she wants something for herself then she should take it." I say.

"Even if that means leaving?" Deaton asks me.

"Yeah." I nod. "We can't force her to stay..Derek might think he can but he can't. She's lucky she survived, I almost didn't but Gerard needed me as a distraction..Crystal..she didn't survive." I swallow thickly.

"Yes. Scott mentioned another beta." Deaton says apologetically.

"She uh..she was part of my old pack. She was a kitsune." I tell him, swinging my legs and looking down at them sadly. "She was only 16 and.." I sniff, wiping the tear that attempts to escape. "I'm sorry." I chuckle awkwardly, wiping my eyes.

"It's okay. It's okay to be upset." Deaton tells me.

"I try not to be." I say. "I guess I didn't mourn like I should have. I'm just trying to bury it all, you know? It's like.."

"Like you don't wanna accept it?" Deaton provides and I nod. Deaton comes over to stand beside me. "Derek has the same problem. So do I."

"What do you mean?" I ask, wiping the last of the tears in my eyes.

"Well..Derek lived in _that_ house for a long time, up until recently when he aquired a pack. He's has trouble letting go." I've noticed that but sometimes you don't want to let go. Sometimes you never let go. If I lost my whole family, I don't think I could let go either. "And me..I never really accepted the Hale's passing either." He tells me. I suprised the vet is opening up to me but i'm grateful because he's not judging or over-sypathetic, he's knowledgable, he's understanding. "I was Tahlia's emmissary."

"Derek's Mom?" I ask. He nods. "What..what was that like? Being right-hand to someone so powerful?" I ask.

"It wasn't always easy." He says but he's smiling. "She was a stubborn woman, very rooted in her ways."

"Like Derek." I say, smiling now too.

"Exactly." He nods. "I see alot of her in him, you know? That hard-headness, the natural leader, just like his mother." I swear I see tears in the vet's eyes before he blinks them away. I don't know much about the Hale pack's relationship with Deaton but I do know they were important to each other and Deaton really cared for Tahlia. I think that's why he's so open to help Derek and the rest of us. And of course, he's been a father figure to Scott too.

"Hey..thank you. For everything you've done for us." I say, looking up to meet the vet's eyes.

"It's what i'm here for." He says with a small smile. We both look at the door when Derek and Cora walk in. Cora's eyes are a little red and they're not talking or looking at each other. I refused to listen in with my focused hearing, I have a feeling that was a pretty personal conversation so I didn't have the right to hear anyway.

"Is she okay?" Derek asks Deaton.

"Few more days to heal and she'll be fine, right Ashlee?" Deaton says, patting my knee. I smile and nod. Derek's eyes narrow at Deaton's hand and I roll my eyes. Seriously Derek? Deaton starts putting the bandage leftovers away and binning my other ones. Derek comes over and stands where Deaton was. He's looking at the ground, his arms crossed over his chest. I notice Cora's looking at the ground too.

"Are you being an asshole?" I ask Derek in a whisper. He looks up with a frown like he's confused. "I saw the glare you gave Deaton and now Cora's upset..what did you do?" I ask, keeping my voice right down.

"Firstly, Deaton shouldn't be touching you-"

"I got undressed so he could re-do my bandages. It's sort of what he does." I inform the wolf.

"Your knee didn't need help." He says.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask him. He is being moody today. Extra moody.

"Nothing." He mumbles.

"I'm sorry, I have to open up." Deaton says, coming back over.

"That's fine, we'll go." I say, jumping off the table carefully. "Thanks again." I smile.

"You're welcome. Good luck to you as well Cora."

"Thank you." She replies.

"Thanks doc." Derek says, walking past him. The 3 of us walk out and Deaton changes his sign from 'closed' to 'open'.

"You okay Cora?" I ask the girl as we walk towards the cars.

"I think so." She nods. "I think this is a good thing, you know? I can have a normal life." She says. I nod and from beside me, I hear Derek sigh heavily. Cora glares at him. She walks up to him and stops. "Take your keys, i'll walk." She says, shoving them into his hands. Uh-oh. They may be brother and sister and love each other, but even Scott and I fight.

"Don't walk, I can drive you." I offer her. She gives me a small smile and nods.

"Ash-" Derek tries.

"We can talk later." I stop him. They're not about to throw down outside of the vets on a main road. And Cora's not walking.

"I'll see you tonight." Derek says before walking away. I sigh, wanting to hug him or something but he's frustrated and maybe a little angry I 'took Cora's side'. I'm not picking sides, i'm stopping a fight. And I went through what Cora did and the last thing she'll want to do is fight with Derek. So I walk over to my car with Cora, unlock it and the both of get inside. I pull out and onto the road, cruising towards the train depot, in no real rush.

"Sorry." Cora sighs.

"What for?" I ask her.

"For making you two fight as well." She says.

"We're okay. Trust me, we've had alot worse." I say, remembering Peter.

"I just..if I can be normal and not be worried and looking over my shoulder all the time, I should, right?" She asks me. I glance and Cora and back to the road.

"If that's what you want, then yeah. I think you should."

"Derek doesn't seem to think so." She sighs.

"Just remember, he thought he lost you. He's worried and he's probably scared that if you do leave, he's going to lose you again. He's just..being a big brother." I say.

"I know." She nods. "But i'm not 11 anymore. I can look after myself."

"You'll always be a little girl to him. Scott still thinks i'm his baby sister and i'm 5 years older than him." I say with a smile. Cora chuckles lightly and i'm happy to see her smile even if it's just a little. "It's a brother thing. How about this? I'll talk to him, try make him understand?" I offer.

"You'd do that for me?" She asks as we pull up outside the depot.

"Course. Your Derek's family and he's my family. I'm here if you need me." I assure her. She smiles properly now.

"Thank you." She says sincerely. "And..for what it's worth..i'm sorry about Crystal." She says. I nod, swallowing thickly.

"Me too. And i'm sorry about you as well." I say. She nods.

"Thanks for the ride." She says. I nod. We share a small smile and Cora gets out. Derek pulls up as Cora walks inside. He looks at her and then looks at me.

"Go easy on her Derek." I say, knowing he'll hear me.

"I'm only watching out for her." He says back, still sitting in his car too.

"I know and she's grateful, but she's almost an adult. You can't keep her here forever." I say with some caution. I hear Derek sigh and he says nothing else. So I reverse out and leave, going back towards my own house.

..

Like the night before, Derek slips in the window. I sit up in bed when he sits on the end of my bed instead of getting inside.

"The reason I got angry at Deaton is because..I want you to only be mine." He says, looking at the wall. It suprises me to hear him say this. Like alot. I move so i'm sitting beside him in the dark.

"Am I." I say. He glances at me.

"Then why can't either of us say anything when people say we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" He asks with a sigh.

"Is that what this is about?" I ask him. "Derek, look at me." I say. Derek turns his head and looks at me. "I don't care about stupid titles, I really don't. As long as you're only mine as well, then I don't care." I tell him.

"I can promise that." He says. I smile softly at him.

"Then don't worry about us." I say. "And seriously? Deaton?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know..my wolf just.." He chuckles awkwardly like he can now see how wrong he was.

"I'd at least go to Peter first." I tease him. His eyes turn red but I know he's not angry.

"Is that right?" He asks. I nod with an innocent smile. I giggle when his hands wrap around my ribs, so he doesn't grab my injuired hip, and i'm lifted up and put in his lap. "Maybe I just have to give you a reason to stay then." He smirks. I know what that means. I meet him half-way, kissing him. His hands come to my lower back, pulling me flush againist him. I grab the hem of his shirt and pull back long enough to pull it over his head. He backs up so we can lay down properly. "Wait." He says, pulling back. "There's something we have to talk about." He says, looking up at me. "It's important."

"Can it wait 'till tomorrow? I'm a little too far gone to stop now." I say sheepishly. My wolf is howling for this. I can smell my own lust and I really don't want to stop. Derek glances down between us and smiles, nodding. He brings our lips back together and it's a straight line to bliss from there.

..

..

 **Little bit of jealous Derek :3 I almost made Ash adopt that kitten for Tyler, almost! So yes..Cora plans to live a normal life. But, she can't escape here past as they'll see ;) Favourite, follow and review!**


	41. I've Decided

**There's going to be alot of Dashlee in this one, enough fluff to make you puke in your mouth a little :3 But be warned, I don't know why, I took a real feelsy turn later on when Ashlee's thinking about who Derek really is. I like it though. The feels are strong with this one! PS-I won't be able to update tomorow, i'm sorry!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Wow! I can't pick, there's too many good ones :) I can't telll you that though, sorry! :P**

 ***SimplyTxylor-Oops, I meant to say jaguar since she's a were-jaguar :P But still, she's pretty awesome :)**

 ***Bree-Good :)**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up much better this morning. No strange dreams. A peaceful sleep. A smile comes to my lips when the naked werewolf beside me wakes up as well.

"Morning." I grin, laying on my stomach under the comforter.

"Morning." He smiles back, dropping a kiss to my bare back before laying back down beside me. His hand comes to my side, over the bandages. "Did I hurt you?" He asks. I shake my head.

"No, i'm fine." I assure him. He smiles and his fingers start to softly trace the owl tattooed on my torso. "You okay?" I ask him, seeing he's a little distracted by his own thoughts.

"Can we get dressed so we can talk?" He asks, his fingers stopping.

"Course." I nod. I pull myself to sit up with a little pain as it pulls at my wounds. We both get dressed. I go over and open the curtians and the windows. It's not early either. The sun's high in the sky, it's late morning. We slept in. Derek sits down in the same place as last night, his face hardening. I sit down beside him, crossing my legs.

"I talked to Cora yesturday." He tells me.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

"Well..we didn't fight. We did come to a understanding though." Derek says, meeting my eyes.

"Why don't you look happy then?" I ask, taking his hand in mine. He looks at our hands, threading his fingers through mine and holding tight.

"Cora's going to live back in South America." He tells me. Derek looks back up at me, his green eyes meeting mine. "And i've decided, really recently, to go with her." He says. I feel my stomach drop.

"Okay." I nod. "For..forever?" I ask nervously, biting at my lip. Derek catches the action and sighs sadly.

"Right now, i've told her i'll stay for a week. I just..I need to know she'll be safe without her wolf. You understand, right?" He asks. I smiles softly and nod despite the bad feeling in my gut.

"Of course. She's your sister." I say honestly. I do understand, I just don't want him to go. But Cora's more important right now. "Just promise me that when you go, it won't be the last time I see you." I say. That's what I need to hear. I need to know he's going to come back.

"It won't be, I swear." He assures me. "Even if i'm gone for longer, I will come back and see you and check on the pack. I won't abandon you or them, i'm not abandoning my family." He says. I lean over and kiss him softly. He kisses me back and we end up hugging.

"You should go with her then." I say, pulling back.

"Are you sure?" Derek asks me. I nod.

"Yeah, she needs you." I tell him. "Me and Peter will look after the pack. I told you i'd help lead them back there, I can do it now too."

"Thank you." He says gratefully. He sighs and kisses the back of my hand.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"I..I don't want to leave. We just got home. But I need to be with her for now so i'm gonna go. I'm just worried that something might happen while i'm gone."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. And if something does happen, we're a strong pack, we can handle it." I tell him.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" He asks me, triple-checking. "Because I don't want you to think I came here last night for one last-"

"Derek, stop." I say. "I know that's not what happened." I assure him. Last night was mostly from my end. "And i'm okay with it. Yeah, the long distance might suck but if _you_ think this is a smart move and one you're confident with, then I will support you."

"I..I do. I think it's a good idea, at least for a week." He says.

"Then i'm okay with it. And i'll be here whenever you come home." I promise him. He smiles and squeezes my hand a little tighter. "When will you go?" I ask.

"Cora wants to go as soon as possible." He says. "It's not that she doesn't like it here with us..Beacon Hills just holds alot of memories she's tried to escape for a long time."

"It's understandable." I nod. Cora was in the fire, as well as Peter. It's completely justifiable that she'd want to get away from somehwere that reminds her of it and her family. "So maybe a little get-together's in order then?" I suggest. "Everyone's gonna wanna say goodbye to you both and you know how Lydia gets." I chuckle. He smiles, nodding.

"We should all do something tonight then, I can..I can take her tomorrow." He says with some reluctancy. I don't think he's as keen about the idea as Cora is but he is her brother and he needs to be there for her, especially in her human state, and he knows that. "I just don't want to make her stay longer than she wants too." I nod, accepting he'll be gone for a week from tomorrow onwards.

"Can we do something tonight and then can you spend tonight here?" I ask. He smiles wider and I do too.

"Of course." He says, kissing me again. I want to cuddle the crap out of him the night before he goes. We pull back and I lean my head on his shoulder. "But for now, I want to do something we haven't gotten the chance to do yet." Derek says, standing up and pulling me up too.

"What's that?" I ask.

"A date." He says. He's really making sure me and him are going to be okay during this seperation.

"Are you kidding?" I ask, a smile coming to my lips. He shakes his head, smiling too.

"I'm gonna run home and get changed. Then i'll swing by in an hour and pick-up my girlfriend, okay?" He says. I chuckle, smiling widely. His _girlfriend_?

"Yeah, I like that idea." I say. He steps forward and kisses my cheek.

"You deserve the title." He says quietly. My cheeks darken a little. "I'll see you in an hour." He says, pulling back. I give him a smile as he walks out of the room, deciding to use the front door. I go over to my drawers to grab clothes for a shower. I can't stop smiling either.

..

"So where are we going?" I ask Derek from my place in the passenger seat of his car.

"You'll see." He says, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You know me better than to drag me somewhere with loads of people, right?" I ask him. He nods, still smiling. I shrug, looking out the windshield. Fine. I got on the phone to Lydia, and being the amazing girl she is, she's organizing a farewell do for both Hales tonight. I still can't believe they're going tomorrow. It's so..soon. In less than 24 hours, I won't have my Sourwolf around. It's saddening..but I know it needs to be done so i'm sucking it up. He's promised to come back so that's what i'm holding onto. Derek told me he made the calls, he let each member of the pack know what was happening. He talked to Peter and the pack about me and Peter being in charge while he was away. It just..sucks. That's the only word for it. It _sucks_. We've only just got home, barely making it out alive and now him and Cora are leaving. I wish I could say something to Cora to convince her to stay or at least wait but I know I can't. That's selfish on my behalf. I'm a big girl, I can cope. I hope I can cope. No, i'm sure I can.

"Hey." Derek says. I look up at him. "It's okay." He says, obviously being able to tell I was brooding.

"I just wish we had more time." I sigh.

"I tried to talk her out of it but her mind's set." He says.

"No, I know. She needs this and she needs you. I'm not mad at her. I'm just..it sucks." I say. Derek chuckles at my explaination of my feelings.

"Don't think about it right now. I don't want to see you frown." He says.

"Okay." I nod, giving him a smile. He returns it but I can tell he's feeling the weight of leaving as well. This is his home. He feels differently about Beacon Hills than Cora does. She'd probably never go _near_ her old house but, like Deaton said, Derek lived in it for a good long while. She can't wait to get out of here, Derek doesn't want to leave.

There's no word to describe what he's doing for his sister other then noble. I don't think Derek thinks so, but he's a good man. Even with the angry demeanor, the furrowing eyebrows, the stone cold face, through and through he is a good man. He is a good person and everything he does will be for someone else in the long run, not himself like Scott used to think. Even Scott and Stiles see that now, they see who Derek Hale really is.

He's a good-hearted man weighted down by the scars of his past.

He's an older brother conflicted with his own wants and what's truly right.

He's an alpha ready to laugh in the face of danger to protect his betas.

And most of all, he's _Derek_. He's prepared to die to save his family.

He will do what's right even when he wants to do the complete opposite. He will put others before himself. You can't tell be that's not noble.

"Here." Derek says, pulling me out of my thoughts again. If I actually paid attention to the road during the drive, I would have known where he was taking me. I can't help the fond sound that leaves my mouth as I look over the hill. The rock pools. The cave. We've been here before. And it was a really good day. I actually think coming here together is what turned our relationship into something more complex than 'Scott's tutor' in the beginning. "Come on." Derek says. We both get out of the car. Derek takes my hand in his and leads me down the hill to the rock pools. We walk in silence, but there's nothing uncomfortable about it at all. I keep no track of time as we sit down together and observe the critter-infested waters with our hands linked together and our eyes set softly. We stand up and I move to walk but Derek doesn't move so I stop.

"What's wrong?" I ask the wolf, turning back to him.

"There's something I want to give you before I go." He says.

"Give me?" I question, confused. His spare hard fishes into his jacket and brings something out. My eyes widen at it.

"I came back here and found it. Erica told me where to get it made into a necklace." He says, like he's trying to brush off how heart-felt this gift really is. "Can I?" He ask, unclipping the necklace. I nod, turning around. The thin silver chain lays cold againist my skin but I don't mind at all. He buckles it and I turn back around. I look down at the pendant. Except it's not a pendant. It's a Caribbean Hermit Crab shell. And it's small, it's no bigger than an average sized eraser. And it's beautiful. Bright white, small dull spikes coming off it. It's the shell Cora loved so much. And Cora's the sister he loves so much. I can't help the tears that shine in my eyes. I rush forward and hug Derek tightly.

"I love it." I tell him sincerely. His arms come around me and he rubs my back with one hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He says, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I'm gonna come back to you, I swear." He assures me. I nod againist his neck, hugging him a little tighter. We pull back and I quickly wipe my eyes so he doesn't see i'm upset. I'm not really upset, i'm more overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry, i'm okay, promise." I assure him, wiping my eyes one more time to rid them off any tears left.

"I know you are, you're strong." He says with a soft smile. His thumb comes up to wipe away a stray tear on my cheek I must have missed. "Come on." He says, holding his hand out to me. I take it again and we keep walking, standing closer than we were before.

..

..

 **Feels, stupid, stupid feels :( I felt like that was an 'I love you' moment but it didn't feel right. It seems a little too early and OOC for them to be spewing 'I love you's just yet. Next chapter will be the little Hale farewell and sending them off. Then the chapter after that is the real beginning of season 3 because Ash makes a choice for herself as well..and she's not going to do it alone either! Favourite, follow and review! Remember, no update tomorrow!**


	42. Say Goodbye

**One more chapter until season 3 starts!**

 **I have to apologise to those who weren't given a shout out in the last chapters! My reviews were stuffing up** _ **again**_ **but I can finally see them all now! So i'm really sorry but here they are!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Tesla424 (chapter40)-I should have gotten her to adopt it! Maybe I can squeeze that in.. Derek's smooth like crunchy peanut butter, it's those one-liners that get him the** _ **goods**_ **;) Even in the show he can't really flirt, he just sort of says a little something and looks hot and bam! He's got another 'girlfriend', bless his heart though, I do love Derek's character. But his choice in woman..not good. Maybe Sterek isn't such a bad idea :P I'm exicted too and I don't think people will know what i'm planning (hopefully another suprise)!**

 ***Mya (chapter40)-Yeah, I think i'm going to have to squeeze that in definitely now :)**

 ***Serena Sterling (chapter41)-I can't say it but the one in the symbolic writing was my favourite! Yes, feely is a word in my book :P**

 ***Tesla424 (chapter41)-Aw, thanks :) They're so yum those lollys :)**

 ***SimplyTxylor (chapter41)-Good guess :) But, those eyes weren't glowing in the bushes, but that doesn't mean they can't glow ;) And the skeleton isn't in Derek's closet either. But it was a good guess, parts of it are sort of what I had in mind but it's not entirely correct :) But it was a good try considering I haven't given away much :)**

 ***Bree (chapter41)-Hehehehehehehehe, we'll see :P**

 **Just so you know, i've got a big exam coming up so for the next week I might be updating every second day instead of every day!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

It's nice to have this pack time, especially after everything we've all been through. As I look around the yard, I don't see teenagers. I see strong woman and men.

Fighters.

Soilders.

Warriors.

And my eyes fall to the oldest and youngest of the little ragtag pack of animals and humans. I smile at Peter as he glances my way as Tyler's rambling to him.

I'll say it again. It's nice to have this pack time.

Lydia and Allison actually threw all this together. The food, the drinks. Ms Martin's out of town on a business trip so we can do this at Lydia's house. That's why i'm currently sitting on the edge of the pool with a can of cola and my feet dipped in the water. I can't swim because of my injuries but it won't be long until that's gone. Another day or 2. Ah. If there was any way to send the two Hales off, this is good way to do it.

I look up when I hear something behind me. Derek sits down beside me. I smile smugly when I see Stiles has successfully convinced him to ditch the jeans and work boots for bare feet and board shorts. His feet slip into the water as well and he looks at me.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey." I say. We don't say much to each other. We just sit in comfortable silence together. Silence, except for all the wolves and humans babbling on behind and around us. It really has been too long since we've been together like this. Without danger. Somewhere we can relax. It's been too long. I hear someone come in Lydia's front door. I look over at the outside doors, waiting for the people to show their faces. Mom, Chris and John walk out, smiles on their faces. I scramble to my feet, running over to Mom and hugging her. She makes an 'oof' sound on impact but hugs me back as well. John gives a smile and both males go to find their own children. I pull back from Mom but stay standing with her as she looks around the yard at everyone.

"So. Derek and Cora are leaving tomorrow." Mom says, bringing her arm around my shoulders lightly. I nod, leaning my head againist her. "How do you feel about that?" She asks me, looking down at me.

"I'll miss them. But Derek will be back." I tell her.

"You're not going to be one of those girls that can't go 5 seconds without her boyfriend, right?" She teases me. I chuckle. "Sorry, not boyfriend." She corrects her.

"Actually, boyfriend sounds about right." I say, grinning at her.

"I told you!" She laughs and it's such a heart-warming sound.

"Shut up. You didn't tell me anything." I pout, nudging her softly.

"Well I was about to tell you both something if he kept staying over and you didn't have the title as his girlfriend." She says, raising a sassy eyebrow.

"How'd you even know he was over last night?" I ask her, confused.

"Well I didn't know about last night until just now actually." She informs me. "Thanks for telling me." She chuckles.

"You should go get a drink so I stop embarassing myself." I suggest. She laughs and nods, walking over to the table full of food and drink.

It didn't take long for the news to get around the pack that Derek and I were offically dating or whatever. Mom told John who told Stiles then Scott and then everyone knew.

But it was a good night.

We drank and ate and talked and just enjoyed each other's company.

And by the very end of the night, we were all out our own places. Except Derek. He kept his promise and spent the night with me, holding me close under the duvet for the last time in a little while.

..

 _The next day_

As Derek's going through the basics with Peter about the pack, we already did that this morning before we came, i'm approached by Cora.

"Hey, you all set?" I ask her. She nods but she's looking down at her feet. "Cora, what's wrong?" I ask the girl.

"Come with me." She says. I nod and follow her a little away from the pack. We sit down on the bench seat outside the depot. "Are you mad at me?" Cora asks me, looking up to meet my eyes.

"What? Why would I be mad?" I ask her.

"Because i'm taking Derek away from you."

"Cora, listen." I start. "You're not taking him away from me. You need him. And he's a good brother, he's going to help you. And i'm not mad, I promise." I assure her.

"Are you sure? This feels wrong. I..I feel like he's happy and i'm taking that away from him and you. And taking the alpha away from the betas. It doesn't feel fair." She sighs.

"No, don't say that. The only thing that's not fair is what Gerard did to you. The rest of it isn't your fault. You and Derek are family and that's stronger than anything he has with us." I tell her. "Cora, if you need him then take him with you. I understand completely. Trust me, me and him have already talked about this. All I ask is that you look out for him and yourself." I smile at the younger Hale. She nods. "So everything's fine, I promise." I assure her.

"Okay." She nods, smiling now.

"Come on." I stand up and she does too. I pull her into a hug and she hugs me back. "I'm gonna miss you. We all are." I tell her.

"I'm gonna miss you guys too." She says. We pull back and start walking back over to the pack. Derek's ready to go and I know this where we all say goodbye. It's time.

Each member of the pack makes their rounds between the two. I wait until Derek's finished since it's going to take me a little longer to say goodbye to him. I smile at him when he walks away from them and comes over to me. We pull each other into a hug right away.

"Promise me you're gonna look after yourself." Derek says quietly.

"I will." I assure him. I feel my eyes tear up a little but I refuse to cry. He's going to come back in a week. I've grown so accustomed to having him around, to seeing him and being able to kiss him and hug him. He's been there when i've needed him without failure. And now we have to say goodbye because he's leaving. And all those things leave with him. But it's only for a week.

We pull back enough so we can kiss while still in each other's arms. We pull back when we hear the Camaro's boot being shut. They're ready to go.

"Go on, take Cora home." I say, with a soft smile. He nods but comes forward to kiss me again. "Are you trying to make this harder for me?" I ask but i'm only joking.

"No." He smiles. "I just have to know that when I left you were smiling." He says.

"You're such a sap." I chuckle.

"Yeah, it's getting bad dude." Scott pipes up. Derek and I both chuckle and pull back completely.

"Bye Ash." Derek says.

"Bye Derek." I say. We all watch as Derek gets into the car with Cora. He gives us a smile loop-sided smile before pulling out. I lean my head on Scott's shouder and blow out a breath. Scott brings his arm around my waist.

"You okay Ash?" He asks, looking at me. I nod.

"I'm okay." I say and it's actually the truth. He's doing a good thing and i'm proud of him for giving up his own wants to help his family.

..

I sit on my bed that night, idly surfing the internet. You know what? There's something i've wanted to do for awhile, somewhere i've wanted to go. And now seems a good a time as any to go. Everyone's safe, Derek's away..now's the time. I bring up another tab and google search for flights tomorrow morning. And there's a few things i'm going to need to pick up before that. I grab my phone, calling Peter to let him know he's going to have the pack to himself for a little while.

..

..

 **See? Someone's taking a holiday! I really didn't want to drag this chapter out too much otherwise it would have turned into 2 chapters and I really want to start season 3! Remember, for the next week it might be every second day updates so I can have lots of study time for my exam! Favourite, follow and review!**


	43. A New Adventure

**Enter season 3! This chapter isn't very interesting at all just so you know! Just a base to go off of!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Wow, I definitely can't pick, they're all good! Yes, i'm doing my own spin on season 3 too! I don't know if there's going to be a season 4 though.. You'll see where Ash decides to go this chapter :) And thanks, good luck to you too! Mine's more a paper than an exam but it's the same conditions etc etc :)**

 ***Bre-Okay, Derek will definitely be back in a week, guaranteed :) Do you feel better now? Derek's not taking off forever, like he did in the show :(**

 ***Tesla424-Thank you! I can imagine Melissa being very sassy to her daughter if she had one :P**

 ***DerekHaleSiriusBlack1103-I knew it was you from your name :P Yes, Derek's definitely coming back! And yay! I'm glad your excited because I am too!**

 ***SimplyTxylor-Thank you :3 I am Islander/European :)**

 **SEASON 3 FINALLY!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"This isn't about Derek, right? Because this isn't a smart move if it is." Scott says as I stand in front of him, Tyler and Mom with a bag slung over my shoulder.

"In the beginning I thought it was but I think I need this, you know?" I say to them. "After everything..I need some time off too." I chuckle lightly. Scott's face softens and he nods.

"I understand." Mom says. "But you're gonna come back, right?" She asks me.

"I will, I swear." I promise me. I wouldn't take off again like I did for those 2 years. I wouldn't hurt my family like that again. I couldn't. I'm coming back. "Just give me 5 days and i'll be home." I assure her.

"Do you need anything? Money? Or-"

"No, i'm fine Mom." I stop her. She nods and comes forward, hugging me. I hug her back tightly and she kisses my temple. She lets me go and I move to Scott. He practically bear-hugs me but I do the same to him so it's okay. We pull away and I put my bag down so I can pick Tyler up.

"Are you leaving?" He asks, a frown coming to his cute little face.

"Yeah bud, but I got you something to remember me by while i'm away." I say.

"What is it?" He asks, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

"I went and picked him up from Deaton earlier this morning." I say. Mom smiles at me as i've already discussed this with her. I talked to Scott too, I had to make sure the smell wouldn't put his wolf on edge or anything. Deaton said it's fine though, especially since he's used to my feline smell. I set Tyler on his feet and grab the box off the table. I kneel down so i'm Tyler's height. "Here you go." I say, handing him the box. He takes it, realising it's heavy. I help him carefully place it on the ground. Tyler looks at the mesh top of the box and a big smile comes to his face. That's exactly what I wanted to see before I left. I take the top of for him so he can take him out. Tyler lifts the tiny furball of orange and black out of the box. "His name's Tiger." I tell Tyler.

"Tiger." Tyler says, petting him.

"Yeah." I nod. I look up at Mom and Scott. "There's a box of food, litter, everything he'll need in my room." I tell them. I didn't want them going out to buy anything so I got it all already.

"You're a darling." Mom says.

"I try." I grin. I check the time. "I better go." I say. I drop a kiss to Tyler's head. "Bye Ty, i'll see you in a week."

"Bye Ashy." He says, turning to give me a hug. I hug him back and pat Tiger before standing back up. I give Scott and Mom one more hug before picking my bag back up. We say our last goodbyes before I walk out the door and get in my car. I beep and wave out to my little family on the doorstep as I drive away. I've only left them twice, and let me tell you, leaving like I just did, on good terms and everything..it feels _so_ much better than the first time I did it. I turn left at the end of the road. There's one last place I have to visit. The loft. I've alreayd seen Lydia and Allison and Stiles earlier today while I was out shopping and picking up the kitten. Saying goodbye to the pack and Peter is the last thing on my list before I leave the country.

..

I walk into the loft with my packed bag slung over my shoulder. It's my turn to say goodbye to the pack now.

"You're really leaving?" Peter asks, walking up to me. I nod.

"Yeah." I say. Peter's frowning a little. "Relax, i'll be fine." I say. Isaac and Boyd come down the stairs, walking over to me as well.

"So this is it?" Boyd asks.

"For now, yeah." I nod.

"Are you gonna come back?" Isaac asks.

"Yeah, of course." I nod. "I'm only going for 5 days."

"She just needs some time." Peter tells Isaac before he can ask when. I give Peter a thankful smile.

"Where's Erica?" I ask them.

"I'm here." She says, coming down the stairs. She has a bag on her back. I frown.

"Where are you going?" I ask her.

"I'm coming with you." She says.

"Erica." I sigh.

"Derek's gone for a week. I dealt with that. But now you're leaving too? I don't want you to go..I..I don't wanna feel like i'm alone." She says, looking down at her feet. She looks up, looking at the betas and Peter. "I love this pack but I need time too." She says. Erica turns to look at me. "So i'm coming with you, okay?" I study the girl for a few long moments. Peter gives me a small nod.

"Okay." I nod with a small smile. She returns it. "Well..we're going now. This is where you say goodbye too." She nods. She hugs Boyd first. I take this as my cue, turning to hug Peter.

"This'll be good for you two." He says.

"I really hope so." I say. We pull back and Peter holds my shoulders.

"It will be. We'll keep in touch." He says.

"Okay." I nod. "Just uh..can you watch out for my family? Just..everyone?" I ask. He smiles and nods.

"Of course I can." He nods.

"Thank you." I say, letting out a breath. I hug him again. We pull back and Peter kisses my cheek. I hug Boyd while Erica goes to Isaac. "You're the man of the house now." I say with a grin. Boyd smiles as well. "Look after them."

"I will. Look after her." Boyd says to me, glancing at Erica. There might be a little something there.

"I will." I assure him. I clap him over the shoulder and move over to Isaac. The beta hugs me tightly and I pat his back. I think he's upset more of his pack's leaving. "You're in good hands." I tell him.

"I know. I just..everyone's leaving." He sighs. I pull back and squeeze his shoulders softly.

"We're gonna come back Isaac, Derek will too." I tell him. "Just be a little patient. Remember, Scott and Stiles are always around if you need them." I tell him. He nods, giving me a smile. I return it and let him go, going to stand by the door with Erica. I turn to look at her. "Erica, are you sure about this?" I ask her.

"I'm sure." She nods.

"Do you know where we're going?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Noone does." I tell her. "Only me. So you need to be 100% sure on this." I decided not to tell anyone until i'm there. They don't want me to go and they'll try to convince me why it's bad and..I need this, for me. I love them, all of them, but I do need this.

"I need this." Erica says. Her heartbeat stays steady. I nod. She needs this as much as I do, maybe not for the same reasons, but still. We need some time away to relax, too let all the crap we've been through go. And you know what? I think we deserve it. And why not? We're safe now. Erica's done with school for the semester and i'm not doing anything.

"We'll keep in touch." I tell the 3 men. They nod and give us smiles. I smile back and then me and Erica walk out, going down the stairs. We put our bags in the backseat of my car. I get in the driver's seat and Erica gets in the passenger's.

"So where exactly are we going?" Erica asks me, turning in her seat to look at me. "You'll tell e though, right? I'm not just getting on a place..?" She asks. I grin comes to my face.

"Where going to Indonesia." I tell her.

"Oh..wow." She says, shocked by the answer.

"Yeah. Bali. Sure you still wanna come?" I ask her, slowing down in case she's changed her mind.

"Hell yes." She smiles. I chuckle and take my foot off the brake.

..

Neither of us has ever been on a plane or even close to that high off the ground before. We both handled it pretty well though. The plane ride seemed so long and the longer it stretched on, the more excited I was starting to get. At first I did think doing this was crazy, but now? I'm happy I decided to go through with it. And i'm glad Erica's here and i'm not alone. Erica and I get along pretty well and it'll be nice to have this one on one time with her. We get 5 days where we're not a werewolf and a werejaguar, we're two girls. Normal girls. We're friends on a vacation together. And that feels really good. It's like a huge weight's off my shoulders.

We _finally_ land, and Erica and I are both looking out the small plane window to try peek at this magical place that we've heard amazing things about. All you can see in the distance is sandy white beaches and crystal clear blue waters. Okay, I am _so_ glad I made this decision. A rush of fresh air drifts through the plane as the back hatch is opened and they get ready to let us off. I turn to Erica.

"Are you ready for this?" I ask her. She smiles widely and nods.

"Definitely." She says.

..

..

 **I'm ready for some sisterly Erica/Ashlee feels! I back-tracked and got Ashlee to adopt the kitten, I just had too :3 Favourite, follow and review!**


	44. Island Life

**I have many plans for this season :3**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-That last chapter was sort of the opening for season 3 but i'd say this chapter is 3x01 in my fic, since they've arrived and their distination and everything! And no, Isaac's going to stay with Derek, he was just worried because everyone's taking off for a week :)**

 ***cecld16-Hi :) No, i'm doing my own season 3! I was thinking of going back to the show's plotline but i'm over writing it if i'm being honest :/ Sorry. I've done it a few times and I wanted to explore some of my own ideas for this fic. But, I am looking at writing another fic or 2 for when this one and my other Supernatural one ends so maybe something like that will be in there :) And thanks! X**

 ***Tesla424-Yes, Tiger! I really wanted someone to go with her, I was thinking Lydia but I felt like Erica would be more appropriate so yay! Sisterly feels!**

 ***Bre-Thanks :) Yeah, little Tiger :3**

 ***wildanimal1-Here's your update! Have more :)**

 **Just letting you know, this may be the last season of this fic, so the end is possibly near. I'm looking at another fic where we** _ **finally**_ **get some human!Ashlee since i've never really done a proper fic with her being with the pack but being human. And of course, i'm still working on a Walking Dead/Teen Wolf apocalyptic style one too :)**

 **And for those reading my fic 'Carry On My Wayward Son', I have to do alot of editing for the next chapter so i'll be updating that tomorrow instad of today, sorry about the delay!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

We've been driven to our batch we'll be staying in. It's beautiful. It's small, only a double bed and a small bathroom and kitchen, but it's perfect. It's right over the water. Erica and I look around it with wide, excited eyes. This is going to be a good 5 days. A _great_ 5 days.

"Screw unpacking anything." I say, reaching into my bag for some more relaxed clothing. I go into the bathroom, quickly getting dressed. "Let's go for a walk! Check everything out!" I call out to her. I hear her going into her own bag.

"Good idea." She says. I come out and she's out of her skinny jeans and jacket as well.

"Okay, let's go." I smile excitedly. Erica returns it and we rush out the door.

..

Erica and I walk through the streets in shorts and singlets. There's people everywhere. My jaguar's on alert but I let myself relax. The farmer's market is on. The smell of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood and searing chicken fill the air. It's the most satisfying and delicious aroma. What i'm having trouble processing is the colour. So many colours. Bright, vibrant colours from all the parts of the rainbow. Plump tomatoes and sugary baby watermelons. Bright orange bell peppers and wrinkled purple passionfruits. The grapes are a dark blue-purple and as fat as i've ever seen. There's even fruit i've never seen before, covered with dull spikes or a bumpy exterior. There's stalls with fresh fish fillets on ice, smiling men and woman telling the story of how they were and where they caught that particular fish. They flash white teeth and use big hand gestures as they speak. I see bright greens of so many different shades on lettuce leaves, water droplets, from where they've been washed after being pulled from the garden, are still present. Cherry tomatoes of a rainbow of warm colours, reds, oranges and yellows, sometimes a small patch of green. Radishes, bold pink in colour. I watch as an older woman prepares a crispy-fresh chargrilled chicken salad in a soft taco. She hands it to a child who stands with his mother. The smile that comes to the little boy's face is infectious and reminds me of Tyler. I see a man tying herbs to string them up and dry them out for sale. I can smell the wonderous scent of rosemary and sage, maybe even lemon thyme. It reminds me of when I used to cook with my Mom when I was younger, we always tried out things we didn't know how to make.

"There." Erica says. She grabs my hand and pulls me over to a stand where there's bowls filled with sticks and piles of all different kinds of fruits. The woman behind the stall greets us cheerfully and offers us a plastic plate to put the fruits on. We both accept gratefully and begin filling the plates. I hand her over some money and tell her to keep the change when she tries to hand it over. She thanks me and the two of us begin walking again. Erica and I find a grassy spot over-looking the water and we sit down so we can eat. "This place is amazing." Erica says.

"It is." I agree. "I'm glad we came, i'm glad you decided to come with me." I say to her before wrapping my lips around a bright yellow juicy stick of pineapple.

"I'm glad you let me." She smiles. I return it and we keep eating. I take a bite of a strawberry and the sweet sensation rolls on my tongue, coating my tastebuds. It's amazing how much we take things as simple as this for granted. Things are different here. They're cultured and the people are lovely. And best of all, no supernatural trouble. But I could never leave Beacon Hills for good. That's already been proven once before. That's my home, it always will be. But I will admit, it's really nice to get away and just enjoy the little things. Fresh food and the beach. The waves and the sand. It's been too long since i've felt this relaxed and free.

..

 _2nd day in Bali_

I stretch when I wake up. I find the spot beside me is already empty.

"Erica?" I call out. She walks out of the bathroom to a bikini. I wolf-whistle. "I get why Boyd's always tripping over himself for you." I say, chuckling when she flushes red in embarassment.

"Shut up." She says half-heartedly. "Come on, get up. We're going for a swim." She says.

"Okay." I nod, pulling myself out of bed. I go into my bag, finding my own bikini. I quickly change in the bathroom. When I come out, I see Erica jump off the edge of our batch's little deck and into the water. She comes up, looking like she bit into a lemon. I walk over, looking down at her. "A little cold?" I tease.

"Get in here." She says. I chuckle and dive in. The water's cold but it's refreshing as all hell. I can't remember the last time I just swam. Hell, even the last time I was on a beach spare the island Gerard forced us on. That doesn't count. Then again, I had one or two _memorable experiences_ on the island. Yes, i'm talking about me and Derek. Still, being here in Bali, being away from _everything_..it's a really nice break.

Erica and I swim around and under our batch. My head perks up out of the water when I hear my phone ringing.

"Leave it to go to answer-phone." Erica says, waving her hand in it's direction. I think about it..

"It could be Scott." I justify, swimming over to the deck's edge. She just shuts her eyes, now floating on her back. I reach inside, swiping my phone off the table so I don't trek water inside. I look at the caller ID, my heart thumping in my chest. But in a good way. I answer it, bringing my phone to my ear.

"Hey Derek." I say, a smile coming to my lips.

"Hey Ash." He says with a small sigh of relief. "I didn't think you'd answer."

"Of course i'd answer your call." I assure him.

"Are you okay?" He asks me.

"Yeah, course." I say, confused by the question. "Why would you ask that?"

"I rang Scott earlier to check in with him and then I asked to talk to you and he said you weren't exactly around." Derek says. I bite my bottom lip. Uh-oh. I didn't plan to tell Derek I was going away for abit. Hell, I didn't even tell anyone where I was going besides Erica because she's with me. "Ash..where are you?" Derek asks.

"Um..this nice place called um..Kuta." I tell him.

"Kuta?" He questions.

"Yeah." I say.

"Which is where?" He asks. I blow out a breath. "Ash.."

"It's uh..Bali in Indonesia." I say quickly.

"Indon..you're in _Indonesia_?" He asks, completely suprised.

"Uh..yeah." I nod.

"Please tell me someone's with you." He says, sounding concerned. I look to where Erica's floating on her back in the water peacefully, her eyes still shut.

"Oh yeah, i've got someone." I tell him. "Don't worry, i'm fine Der. I just needed a break too."

"As long as you're okay." He says.

"I am, Erica and I are.." I trail off, realising I let who i'm with slip.

"Erica? That's who you're with?" Derek asks.

"Who's on the phone?" Erica calls up to me.

"It's Derek, he says hi." I call down to her. "Yeah, Erica's with me." I say, talking to Derek now. "Don't sweat it, Peter's got everything handled, he's got Scott as well. Erica just needed some time away too, and I can watch out for her." I assure him. He sighs.

"I know." He says. "I just worry."

"I know you do. But you don't need too. Relax while you can, you know how crazy it's going to be when you're back." I tease. I feel better when I hear him laugh a little

"Okay. Well do you need anything?" He asks me.

"No, we're fine. We have money and we have a batch." I tell him.

"How long have you been there for?" He asks.

"I left the day after you did. We've got here yesturday." I say.

"Well..enjoy yourselves then. You'll be back when I get back, right?" He asks, sounding just a tad nervous for my answer.

"I'll be waiting for you when you get back." I promise him.

"Okay." He says, his voice softening.

"Um..I know I probably shouldn't say this but I uh..I really miss you Derek." I admit shyly. I'm not the most feel-sy person in the world.

"I know I probably shouldn't say this but I really miss you as well." He says, a slight chuckle leaving his lips at the end. "Who am I kidding? I should never have left." He sighs.

"Hey, it's okay. You're doing a good thing here. Stop doubting yourself." I say.

"I know that. I just don't feel the same way on the inside. I wanna come home, I wanna see you and Tyler and argue with Scott, hell i'll even listen to Stiles ramble on about Star whatever."

"Star Wars." I correct him with a soft chuckle. "And we can do all those things in a week's time." I assure him. "You sort of sound like you're going a little soft." I tease.

"Shut up." He says with no malice. I can hear his smile and that makes me smile too. "I'm not going soft..I just..care." He says.

"I know. And I care too." I tell him. "If i'm being honest here..I..I need you Derek." I admit.

"I'm not going anywhere..you know what I mean." He says and I laugh. It's ironic right now considering were thousands of miles away from each other. "I'm never going anywhere, not without you." He assures me.

"Good. Because I don't usually let people screw me on a beach." I say with a chuckle. "That makes you pretty special." I hear him laugh and it just makes my chest feel warm. I wish I could hear him laugh more. He doesn't laugh enough. Why am I being so friggin' sappy?

"Well i'm glad." He says.

"Gross!" Erica hollers. I blush a deep red when I remember the wolf only metres away from me. "I knew something was up when you two were just suddenly 'gone'. Ash, a beach, seriously? And Derek..oh god, mental picture, gross." She cringes, looking at me now.

"Shut up." I whine. "No, you know what? It was so good, i'm not even embarassed." I say sassily. Erica's mouth falls open and I remember the very other person that was involved is on the phone and can hear everything i'm saying.

"That's good to know." Derek says, luckily he sounds amused. I chuckle awkwardly.

"Sorry." I say.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad the feedback was good." He says, a hint of pride and smuggness in his voice. Of course, he's a man. And they've got egos. "I should go, Cora's back. But have fun. And i'll talk to you later."

"Okay Derek. Tell Cora I say hello and don't waste your time away worrying about us, we're fine."

"I'll _try_ not too. Bye."

"Bye." We hang up and I look down at my phone with a sad smile. I miss him, I really do. But I do want to enjoy this time away. It's been 2 days and i've got another 5 until I see him. I really need to suck it up and not be a sap. I put my phone with our towels and stand up. I dive into the water again, splashing Erica on purpose. I come up with a smile on my face. Yeah, i'm going to enjoy myself.

..

..

 **Sappiness :3 New chapter we'll see what Derek and Cora have been doing! More suprises to come! Favourite, follow and review!**


	45. South America Life

**A head's up, if you thought I was done with the suprises, you're** _ **so**_ **wrong! :P Sorry for the long wait, things are getting crazy!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Derek and Cora time! Glad you liked it :)**

 ***Bre-Yay :) I'm glad you did!**

 ***Guest-Same!**

 ***Guest-At least for now.. Mohaha!**

 **..**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

As I drive away from my pack, from my girlfriend, yes I said girlfriend, and my home..a strange tug twists in the pit of my stomach. A part of me what's to tell Cora, to _make_ Cora stay just so we don't have to do this. It's not just the seperation from all my family back there that hurts, it's the fact that in a week I have to say goodbye to Cora as well. It's been days since I found her again, after 6 years. I have 7 days left with her. Then i'm coming home without her. And that..it sucks. It upsets my wolf and it upsets me too, not that i'd admit that outloud. She's my little sister and i'd do anything for her, hence why i'm doing this right now, but I don't know if she thought this through properly. She's in such a rush to leave. I understand being here probably hurts her, it hurt me alot too in the beginning.

But then I found Scott and Ash and I found Laura's killer and we dealt with our problems. And by the time I had bitten Isaac, Erica and Boyd, I knew there was no going back. I knew i'd pick life in Beacon Hills over going back to life on the road. I gave life there a chance, and i'm so glad I did. I have a pack, I have family again.

And still Cora's so eager to rush off again. Back to what? South America? To the life of an omega? I don't understand why she won't give staying a chance. She told me her mind was made up, that she was going home no matter what. And then we had the fight at Deaton's. I told her she was selfish for not even trying but she told me I had no idea what I was talking about. She's wrong, I do.

I had everything I wanted when it was just me and Laura. We left that life behind too, we left everything behind. It was Derek and Laura, the oldest of the Hales, it was us againist a world of hunters, other werewolves, other shape-shifters, but we didn't care. It was us and only us. But things change. And things did change. In the beginning, when I first came back, my only interest was finding out who killed Laura.

Then the best thing happened. At the time it was a bad thing, but looking back at it now, seeing where we are now, it was the beginning of a good thing. The best thing. The alpha turned Scott. Then came a new face to Beacon Hills. And then my only interest was finding out who she was, what she was, and why she was here. She turned out to be Scott's sister. She was the new beta's sister. I knew then, we'd be seeing alot more of each other. But still, she was just a quick-tempered, hot-headed feline. And slowly, I saw through all that, saw who she really was underneth that big front. Inside, there's an incredibly strong but broken girl trying so hard to mend herself and her family without anyone's help. Maybe that drew me in too because i'm the same. It was like two lost souls.

Scott started to grow on me too. He wasn't an annoyingly good-hearted boy, he was a fellow wolf, now he's pack to me, he's family. And I didn't like seeing them fight. I didn't like hearing them yell at each other, get angry at each other. My wolf certainly didn't like hearing some of the hurtful things Scott would say to his sister. But, as stupid as it sounds, she's a strong young woman. She stands tall even when standing's not easy. And no matter what Scott says or does to her, she'd give up her own life if it meant he'd live. I see it in her eyes, every day. Every day she regrets leaving her family behind. I can't really say if I agree with her leaving like she did or not. My family and I were very close-knit, we had to be to survive. I left because there was noone left, just me and Laura. And it's not my place to decide what's wrong and right in someone else's life anyway. Not when i've made so many mistakes myself. She thought the only way to escape her father's abusive hands was to run. And nobody can blame her for that. I don't know Mr McCall but I know I despise him for the things he's done to the McCall family, for the things he's said to them. When she told me, when Ash said her father thought she was a waste of time..I could see she believed it. And I think that's also why she didn't go back to them when she was supposed too. You see, if you'd believe something like that then you'd always believe that your family's better off without you. You believe that you're a waste of time to them as well, to everyone. I did what I could, tried to tell her otherwise, comfort her in her time of grief. I wish I could have done more for her but that's just me, i've never been the best comforter.

Can you blame me? Having lost so much myself and having noone there for me, I didn't exactly learn how to empathize. Sometimes, now and then, she has these times where she thinks she's useless to us, to her brother, her family-everyone. People can say words, tell her it's not true, but once you're in that state of mind, it's hard to pull yourself out of it. I was it in for years, running from everything and everyone after the fire. The only thing that held me together was my older sister, Laura. The only thing I had left to hold onto was her. The only thing that kept me going all those years was her. And now she's gone too. When Laura died, I didn't think I could do it. Not not live per say, more..not keep fighting. If the hunters got me, they got me. But then I was filled with something other than self-loathing, guilt, grief and hurt. I was filled with anger, the need to get revenge, to avenge my sister, my rock. So that's what I set out to do, even if it was the last thing I did.

Then Scott came into my life, Stiles, Ash, Tyler. And things changed. They changed for the better. I had something else to hold onto, something else to keep fighting for. And if it's my pack or a stupidly warm-hearted boy, an annoying sarcastic genius, a hot-headed snarky girl and an adorable young boy..then that's okay with me. Because even if we fight and argue, i'd give my life up for every single one of them, even if they wouldn't do the same for me.

And that's what Cora's missing out on. She's missing out on family. Because they'd accept her like she was one of them in a heartbeat. They already did. I saw in on Ash's face when she stepped up and seperated Cora and I before we could start fighting again. So why Cora's so eager to leave and not give this a chance..I don't know. I really don't know.

..

 _2 days after leaving_

I pocket my phone and walk over to the front door when I hear Cora come in.

"You okay?" Cora asks me, stopping in the doorway.

"Fine. I just talked to Ash. She says hello." I tell her. She nods, looking down at her feet. I know she feels guilty about that but Ash ensured us both it was okay and i'm going back to her and them so it's okay. I just wish I could have convinced Cora to stay.

"Um..Derek? There's someone you need to meet." Cora says, still standing in the open doorway. I narrow my eyes when her voice comes out nervous.

"Who?" I ask her.

"There's a reason I needed to come back here. This is my home. This house and..I don't live here alone." She tells me. I step forward.

"Cora, who?" I repeat. She sighs and moves out of the way of the door.

"It's okay, you can come in." She says to someone. I watch the door closely. I'm shocked when a _child_ walks in the door. A young boy, about 8. And then a man who's younger than me but older than Cora.

"Does he know?" The man asks Cora, he has a light Spanish accent.

"Do I know what?" I ask, looking between the 3, my eyes settling on Cora for an explaination.

"Derek..this is _my_ family." She says. It all falls into place. This is why she needed to come home so badly. This is why she didn't want to give Beacon Hills a chance. She gave South America a chance, and it gave her a family. "Sit down. We should talk." Cora says.

..

I sit down opposite Cora in silence. Jack and his younger brother Nathan decided it was best they leave again so we could talk. If I was him and i'd seen my face, I would have left too.

"So after the fire..this is where you were too? You were with them?" I ask her. Cora nods. I let out a breath, still trying to process it all. After getting out of the fire, an 11 year old Cora assumed she'd lost _everyone_. She took off. She got in contact with some distant family friends and she ended up in South America. A few years later, 14 year old Cora meet 16 year old Jack. They became friends, really close friends. Cora told Jack the secret, about werewolves. Hunters came down on them in the area and the people Cora were staying with were killed as they were wolves themselves, she was lucky to escape. She had nowhere to go. Again. Jack's mother decided to take Cora in. So she lived with Jack, Jack's mother and Nathan for another 2 years until she was 16. Things took a turn for the worst and Jack's mother was killed in a car accident. 18 year old Jack took custody of Nathan and offered Cora to stay. Somewhere between the grieving and the hunters and everything..their friendship became romantic. And soon, she was like a mother to Nathan and she was living with Jack and him, in this house, permanently.

"Derek..please say something." Cora says.

"You're 17 years old." Is all I can say. She's _dating_ a 19 year old and being part-time mother to an 8 year old.

"It's more complicated than that. I lost everthing, they lost their mother and..and I needed somewhere to stay. Things just..they just changed. You of all people can understand that. I've seen you with Tyler. You're like a Dad to him. And I know things weren't as straight-forward for you and Ash either." She says, making me look up and met her eyes. I never really thought of it that way. And no, me and Ash..we were at each's throats constantly in the beginning. Things just changed..like Cora said. Dammit. I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. "These are good people Derek, they gave me safe habour when I really needed it. If it wasn't for Jack..the hunters would have gotten me too. They came back for me, they knew I was still alive and that I was staying with humans and they didn't like it at all, they almost did get me but found another family of supernaturals and went after them instead. Derek, without them i'd be dead." She says. I nod. That's true. And I am grateful for that. It's just hard to see someone who has always been a memory of an 11 year old, until very recently, grown up and having a family of their own.

"What happened Cora? How did Gerard find you? How did you get there?" I ask her. "If you were here..how'd he find you?" I ask. She sighs.

"I heard there was a new alpha back in Beacon Hills. I heard they were a Hale. I..I had to see for myself." She says. "I had to see if anyone else survived the fire." She says. I nod, guilt settling in my chest for the upset face she's now sporting. I know Gerard and the fire are 2 things she doesn't want to talk about, neither do I, but we have too. "Maybe it was because I was alone and he needed a wolf that couldn't put up much of a fight..but he came after me. He took me down not far from our territory's border." She tells me. That makes my chest ache. She was so close, close enough for one of us to have done something if we knew. "That must have been when he grabbed their parents too." She adds.

"What about Jack? How come he didn't come looking?" I ask her, curious to see how serious their relationship is.

"I didn't tell him the whole story. We have a safe place, like a meeting point. In case something happens. It's this old fruit shop out of town. When I left, I told Jack to take Nathan and stay there until I was back, just in case the hunters came back again and I wasn't there to protect them." She says. She's like me in that way, we're _very_ protective of our family. "And that's where they've been for a couple weeks now." Cora tells me.

"Sounds like you've got a life here." I say. She meets my eyes, nodding.

"And you have a life in Beacon Hills." She says with a small smile. "You've got a girlfriend and a pack and family."

"I do." I nod. "So..this Jack guy?" I ask. A proper smile comes to Cora's face and she loses signs of being upset. I'd be happy about that if it wasn't because of some human _male_.

"Careful Derek, i'll bring _your_ pretty little girlfriend into this." She threatens playfully, smiling. I chuckle, a smile tugging at my lips too.

..

..

 **Okay! So..Cora had a life in South America (I think the show should have gone more in-depth about her life in South America, or just Cora in general, they didn't give us much) and a family. Just like Derek does in Beacon Hills, that's why she wanted to come home so she could be with them again :3 Just a little hint..parts of this will relate to season 3's big bad in the sense that this season's about something from Cora's past coming back to bite them (someone from the pack) in the ass. I hope that made sense. It will more later on. Favourite, follow and review!**


	46. Something Off

**Sorry about the late updates! I just got a new job and things are nuts! I won't promise daily updates because I don't think I can deliver but i'm still here :) Thanks for the continued support as well :)**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-No, Cora's not but Derek plans too :) And thanks!**

 ***JodiSalvatore-Thank you :) That was so sweet :3**

 ***wildanimal1-Here's some more!**

 ***Bre-Maybe later on :P**

 ***SimplyTxylor-I liked doing that Derek p.o.v so i'm glad you enjoyed reading it :) I do want to do more South America stuff and Jack/Derek :) And no about Sherlock, sorry!**

 **Some big sister Ashlee this chapter with Erica! And a long-awaited confession! Here comes my twist too!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

 _3rd day in Bali_

Things here are..they're amazing. They're so calm. It feels good to have this alone time with Erica where I can get to know her outside of the pack and Beacon Hills' supernatural drama. She's a nice girl, i'm glad we've grown close enough to trust each other to take this trip together. And we've been enjoying ourselves alot, in ways we couldn't back home.

"Hey." I say, nudging Erica. We're sitting on the end of the wharf together, our feet dipped in the water. It rains over us softly but neither of us care. It's actually nice, it's calming. But Erica's got that brooding face that i've seen Derek wear a thousand times on her own face right now. Something must be up. "What's wrong?" I ask the blonde.

"It's nothing." She says, shaking her head as her eyes fall to her lap. I think about leaving it alone until she lets out a sad sigh.

"Erica, what's wrong?" I push. She looks up, meeting my eyes.

"I uh..I kind of miss Boyd." She says shyly. I smile softly. "Don't get me wrong, I needed this and I wanted to come with you but..it feels odd having him so far away." She says.

"Trust me, I know how you feel." I say. "I wish Derek was here, at least closer. I worry about him and I worry about our relationship sometimes..with the distance and everything." I admit. "I know we'd never do anything bad but..I just miss having him around sometimes, you know? But I know he needs to help Cora out and I don't blame anyone for that. Family's family, they come first."

"I don't know Derek like you do, but I do know that he loves you." Erica says. I turn to her, looking at her properly.

"What did you just say?" I ask her.

"I said: 'He loves you'." She repeats. "Yeah, _love_." She confirms. I look away, letting that sink into my head. "And I know you love him, and I also know neither of you have admitted it yet." She says. "Not to each other or to yourselves."

"Is there something between you and Boyd?" I ask, changing the subject back to the original topic.

"We'll get to that later." Erica says with a small smirk, being able to tell i'm trying to avoid this topic. "You do love him..don't you?" She asks me seriously. I meet her eyes again.

"Don't say anything to anyone, okay?" I say. She nods. "I..I think I do." I admit with a nervous smile. "I mean..I miss him when i'm not with him. I just want to be able to get in bed and know he's either already there or he's coming soon. I just..I don't know. Is that love? I've never been in love." I say.

"You're the only one who can decide that Ash." Erica says softly. "But if you want my opinion? That's what i'd call love."

"Maybe I..I love Derek." I say out-loud, testing the way it sounds rolling off my tongue. It feels..right. "I love him." I say with more confidence. I look at Erica. "I'm in love with Derek." I say for the third time, it comes out easily.

"See? You can decide." Erica smiles.

"Wow." I breath out. "And that whole butterflies thing? I think that's real too." I chuckle. Erica laughs, her eyes twinkling with a happiness i'm glad I could help put there.

"Derek's done good by me, and Boyd and Isaac. He deserves to be happy with you." She says sincerely.

"Thank you." I smile, squeezing her knee. There's a soft comforting buzz in my chest. My jaguar's purring, content with my confession. I do, I love him. I think I have for awhile..I just didn't think I could admit it out-loud like that. But i'm glad I did. It feels good to finally have it out of my mouth and in the air.

"And you deserve to be happy too." Erica says with a genuine smile. I smile back and let out a fond sigh. I look over the water, the way the rain bounces off it and adds to it's mass all in a split second. I turn back to Erica.

"You still owe me an answer." I remind her. She chuckles.

"Here I thought you're love confession would make you forget." She says.

"No, not quite." I chuckle. "But seriously, is there something going on? Because I swear there is, I see the way you look at each other when you think noone's watching. He sneaks a glance at you and you sneak one back." I say.

"We don't do that." Erica says, trying to brush it off.

"Yeah, you really do." I say with a smile. She sighs but it's fond.

"You promise not to say anything? To Derek in particular?" Erica asks me.

"Yeah, what's said on the wharf, stays on the wharf." I assure her. She nods, looking into her lap before speaking.

"Boyd actually knew I planned to leave with you." She tells me.

"Really? How?" I ask her. She looks up again, meeting my eyes.

"When Peter told us you planned to go..I knew I wanted to come." She starts. "I was packing a bag when Boyd came in. He asked what I was doing and I tried to lie but he saw right through me. I told him I planned to come and he said he'd pretend he didn't know." She tells me.

"So..something happened?" I guess. She smiles widely, looking into her lap shyly. I smile too, knowing i'm right.

"He gave me a goodbye kiss that night." She tells me. "And uh..it was my first kiss. And it was perfect." She says. Aw.

"You know, you two would be really good together." I say, supporting her. She chuckles, looking up at me again. "I'm really happy your first kiss was with someone as important as Boyd." I say. "He's a good kid, you both are." She gives me a thankful nod.

"So..what about your first kiss?" She asks me. "It wasn't Derek i'm guessing?"

"No, sadly." I say. "It was a high school party and I had been drinking..I shouldn't have done that." I say.

"I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say you two didn't just kiss? And Derek also wasn't another first for you?" She says with caution, trying not to step over the boundaries. She's not though, she's my friend, a good friend. I trust her. And what's said here, stays here. I think i'm safe.

"No, he wasn't, again, sadly." I say. "But yes..some jackass from a party got to take away something I wish I didn't give away." I say. "But that's in the past. And i'm happy with Derek now. Just..just don't make my mistake, alright?" I say to her.

"I won't." She assures me. "That doesn't count for Boyd though, right?"

"No, Boyd's okay." I chuckle. She joins in and we laugh lightly for awhile. It felt good to have that older sister moment with her. I can't exactly pass this 'knowledge' onto my younger brother, can I? That'd be..odd, not something i'd do. But I like how Erica and I are getting closer. This trip has served us well in more ways than one and I hope that when we return home, she can have more kisses with Boyd and we can get even closer. Right now, I might be missing Derek but being with Erica is helping.

..

 _4th day in Bali_

"We're leaving tomorrow, huh?" Erica asks me as we walk along the pavement. The sun's starting to set and wonderful explosions of orange, pink and yellow splash across the vast sky, bouncing off the water amazingly.

"Yeah." I nod. "Think of it this way, you get to see Boyd." I say which makes her smile. "See?" I say, nudging her softly.

"But Derek won't be home for another couple days." Erica reminds me.

"I know." I nod. "But at least he'll know i'm waiting. And I get to see my family and the pack too so i'm okay with it." I say with a soft smile.

"Terribly sorry Miss." A woman says when we bump into each other. I quickly turn to help steady her.

"It's okay, my bad." I say. "Are you okay?" I ask her.

"I'm fine, thank you." She says politely. I let her go. She gives me a big smile, tilting her head a little. Something deep inside of me churns uncomfortably. Her eyes are a strange pale grey colour. "Enjoy the rest of your stay." She says, turning away. I frown, watching her leave. Is it that obvious we're tourists? Something feels off about her. Even her scent throws me a little. I look at Erica, she's frowning too.

"Who was that?" Erica asks me.

"I've never seen her before." I shrug.

"I feel like i've seen her before..at least smelt her." Erica says, looking confused. We share a look and a nod. We decide to follow the woman, not making it obvious. She _seems_ normal but something is off about her. Really off. She takes her large sunhat off now and then to wave air on her face as the sun's high in the sky, beaming down on us. She stops to help a little girl who has fallen off her bike. She smiles sweetly and keeps walking. Not once does she look back at us. Erica and I stop when she walks into a store.

"I don't know..she seems normal." I say.

"I know. She just smells..different. I don't know what it is." Erica says.

"Come on, let's just head back." I say. Erica nods and we turn to leave.

"Wait." Erica says, grabbing my arm. I look at her. She points and we see that same woman leave the store with a man. They're handing each other something, saying something about getting it back to the others. I inhale deeply.

"Blood?" I say, confused. Why do they have blood? Human blood?

"Come on." Erica says as we see the pair turning in towards the woods. I nod and we go after them. They jump a small gate and start jogging but refuse to look back at us. That's _really_ suspicious, my jaguar needs to catch up to them and see what the hell they're doing. They sweep through these bushes. We burst through them, shifted and ready to fight whatever the hell these people are. Except they're gone.

"Where the hell did they go?" I ask Erica. Except she doesn't reply. "Eri-" I turn to her and see the woman. I feel a sharp pain in my head and everything's black.

..

..

 **With all the love and Dashlee talk, I had to bring in Berica, I mean it's** _ **right there**_ **in the show! I love them as a pair, just my opinion! Things couldn't stay lovely forever though! Favourite, follow and review!**


	47. Dazed And Confused

**Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Aw! I can't tell you anything just yet XD But thanks about the job thing :) Here's another chapter!**

 ***wildanimal1-Good :) Here's some more!**

 ***Bre-Like I said with Serena, I can't give anything away just yet XD But yes, she's realised she's in love with the big bad wolf.** _ **But**_ **, will she have the chance to tell him that? Mohaha!**

 ***Tesla424-Yay, you're back! I missed you :) I'm throwing the next chapter at you all right now!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up. My arms and wrists ache. I blink rapidly, trying to un-blur my vision. I move my legs to find nothing underneth them. What? Then it starts to come back to me, the pain, blacking out. I look around this dark, musky room. I look up. My wrists are bound in chains. I'm hooked up to the ceiling. My feet can't touch the ground, the toe of my combat boots barely touch the concrete below me. I try to pull at the chains but i'm weakened, I can't break them. I try to swing my legs up or bring my knees up but I can't. I let out a frustrated sound, flailing my arms around in a febile attempt to get loose.

"I tried that already." I swing around as much as I can towards the voice.

"Erica?" I see her blonde locks. "Oh thank god." I sigh in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, considering." She says. She's a little taller than me so her feet are more firmly planted on the ground. "Ash, we gotta get out of here." She says.

"I know." I nod. "I just..I can't break these damn chains." I huff angerily, trying to break them again. The door opens, light spilling it. A woman and a man step inside, shutting it behind them. The same man and woman from before..the ones that jumped us.

"That's because your jaguar, and your wolf, are taking a little nap. They're still there, but they're..how do I put this? Less active right now." The woman we were following says. "Kudos to that." She smirks, pointing something out to us. My eyes fall to the empty syringe on the ground she's pointing to. They've injected us with something, they must have. I inhale. The man, he sits down at an old rickety wooden desk, some sort of power box or battery hooked up to it. My eyes follow the cords from it, trailing to..crap. Up the wall and to the tops of our chains. Great.

"We've been on you two since you got here." She tells us with a sadistic chuckle. "The stench of feline and canine of you two, _phew_." She says, waving a hand in front of her nose like our scents offend her.

"What do you want?" I ask, struggling to get loose.

"Well, we really didn't want anything. Right Matt? We didn't, not in the beginning." She asks the man with her. He shakes his head.

"Then I noticed you're the same canine and feline from Beacon Hills." She says. What? "You're the same ones that took down Gerard and his crusade."

"Is that what this is about?" I ask. "He was a murderer and he was _sick_!" I snap. No part of me regrets killing that man. The things he did to me, to Cora, to Crystal..he deserved more than death. He deserved to suffer a million times over, but i'm not like that. I might be a murderer, but out of justice for the wrongs he's done. Call me a murderer, whatever you want..I don't regret it for a second.

"No, I agree." She nods. "But you have something I want."

"What?" I ask, confused. "We don't have anything." I say.

"See, that's a lie. I don't like liars." She says with a pout.

"What do you want with us then?" Erica asks her.

"This is just your normal, typical kidnapping situation." She answers, waving her hands around the room flippantly. I frown. Normal? How the hell is this _normal_? Kidnapping isn't freakin' normal! "I need answers that you two can provide. You give me my answers, I let you go. You lie or resist, my husband shocks you. And I know how much you were-creatures _love_ to be shocked." She says. So she's not one herself then? Are they hunters too? Is that how they know about Gerard?

"Okay, fine." I nod, trying to keep the woman and her seemingy trigger happy partner calm.

"Okay. If you're willing to co-operate, you'll get out of here alive." She says. Erica and I share a look. I nod. We don't have much of a choice. We're weakened and hooked up to something that'll make us even weaker. We don't know where we are and oh, that's right, we're chained to the ceiling. Like animals. How _poetic_.

"What are you?" I ask.

"I'll ask the questions, okay Ashlee?" She says. So she knows me. How? What is she talking about with Beacon Hills? Have we met before I bumped into her? "Where's the she-wolf?" She asks, looking between us.

"She-wolf..?" I ask, confused by the question.

"Take them to 1." She says to Matt.

"Wait-" We both tense up when we're shocked at a low, but still painful, voltage. She nods to him and he turns it off. Erica and I both pant, catching out breath.

"You see how this works?" The woman asks. "I ask, you answer. Now, where is the she-wolf?"

"What is a she-wolf?" Erica asks. Is it like what Erica is? Because she's just considered a werewolf? What's up with the _she_?

"Don't play dumb dear, don't be a stereotypical dumb girl. It's not attractive." The woman says.

"We don't know what a she-wolf is." I tell her.

"2." The woman says. And there's shocking pain going from my hands to the tips of my toes again. And it stops after a few long and painful seconds. "I'm growing tired of this game already." She sighs, waving her hand around in boredom. "Where is the she-wolf?" She asks, her voice getting louder and tipping angerily now.

"We don't know any she-wolf!" I yell.

"3!" The woman orders. The pain isn't as easy to handle now. It stops after a few excrutiating seconds though. "Where?!" She yells at me. I grit my teeth. She pulls back her fist and punches me in the mouth. I spit the blood out onto the ground. "Where?!" This times she storms over to Erica, hitting her. She keeps asking and every time we don't answer, we're shocked and then hit. Whatever they injected us with..i'm not healing like I should be. "Where is she?!" The woman yells, hitting me again. I cringe as my face flares up in pain. "Do it." She says her husband Matt. He turns up a dial and I have to grit my teeth as electricity courses through me in a white hot pain. He turns it off and I slump forward. I catch my breath, my muscles still buzzing. This woman walks over to stand in front of Erica. "Where is the she-wolf?!" She asks.

"We..we don't know any she-wolf." Erica tells her, the blood from her nose rolling over her lips and down her chin. The woman nods to the man.

"Stop!" I yell, struggling againist the chains around my wrists as Erica writhers in pain, crying out.

"Then tell me where she is! The one that got my parents killed!" She yells.

"We-we don't k-know!" I yell back weakly. Matt cuts the power. Erica's body hangs lifeless. I look around, my vision hazy and blurred. Matt stands up and the woman goes over to him.

"Natalie, maybe they don't know." Matt says quietly.

"No. They know. I saw them with her." The woman, Natalie, says to him. "I wasn't sure at first. But i'm positive now." What is she talking about? "Cut it off. Back to the drawing board."

"What should I do with them?" He asks her. She turns to us with a smirk.

"They're gonna be powerless. Leave them here until i'm ready to have some more fun." She says. He smiles as well, flicking the switch off. He takes her hand and the two walk out of the room, the heavy metal door being slammed shut behind them. I use all my strength to pull my head up.

"E..Erica?" I call out. She doesn't make a sound or move at all. "Erica?" I ask again. She's not moving, I can't tell if she's breathing. "Erica!?" I yell. I yank at my chains, tearing at them roughly until I feel my wrists becoming raw. It's no use. I fall forward again, tears coming to my eyes. I can't. I'm too weak. My eyes start to droop from exhaustion. "Erica.." I say weakly. I try to stay awake but my eyes shut anyway.

..

..

 **Well..that took a bad turn. Enter season 3's big bad! Favourite, follow and review!**


	48. The Youngest

**Sorry for being gone so long, i've been super busy!**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Erica is..not** _ **that**_ **okay. You'll find out this chapter who it is :) Thanks as well!**

 ***Guest-Hmm..you'll see :)**

 ***Tesla424-Thanks, glad to hear it!**

 ***wildanimal1-They got kidnapped :O**

 ***Bree-You'll find out this chapter :)**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up and my head's pounding. I force my eyes open. No, it wasn't a dream, this is really happening. I have no idea where we are or how long we've been here. I just know that we're still hurt and there's a small pool of blood under the both of us. Thank god Erica's awake though.

"Erica? You..you okay?" I ask her. My face aches and hurts all over. I'm not healing like I should, the wounds are still there.

"In a sense." She says. I smile a little, happy that she can still be sarcastic. I once told Derek that's a sign of good health. Let's hope it's the same deal now. She's not looking the best, I imagine my face can't be in too good of a shape either.

I hear footsteps. My jaguar abilities, whatever they injected us with, i'm losing them. First it was the strength and speed, it's how they've been able to keep us locked up in these chains without us breaking free. Then the healing. The quick healing has slowed down _alot_. I can feel the heightened senses slipping away too. They must be sticking us with someone when we're unconcious. Between that and the friggin' shock therapy..this isn't looking good.

The heavy metal door opens, revealing the woman. Natalie. She walks in alone, closing the door behind her. I glare up at her. She drags over a chair, straddling it in front of me.

"You feel like talking?" She asks me.

"I don't know any she-wolf." I say, for what feels like, the millionth time.

"Let me try again then." She says. I expect to feel pain but she doesn't move. "Her name's Cora Hale, she's the youngest of the Hale family." I tense up but keep a straight face. What the hell do they want with Cora? How do they even know Cora? Does that mean they know Derek? Or Peter? Do they know about the pack?

"I don't know any Cora, I don't know any Hales." I tell her, keeping my face as straight as I can.

"Funny. Because I went travelling a little while ago, I stopped in at Beacon Hills." She says. I grit my teeth. "I saw you with Cora, both of you were with her." She says, looking between me and Erica. So that's what she meant about Beacon Hills? She's _scoped_ us out already? Just to get Cora? "Now, as strong as I am, i'm not stupid enough to take on an entire pack of werewolves on my own. Oh, and then I saw you tongued-tied with the other Hale." She says, looking at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I deny.

"All I want is Cora. She killed 2 of our own. It's taken 4 years but she's finally resurfaced again." Natalie says. That must have been during the time even Derek thought she'd died, when Cora was in South America. Where Cora and Derek still are right now.. "Only problem, she's disappeared out of sight _again_ , her brother too. And then you just stroll into _our_ land with one of their wolves? I didn't even have to bring my family to Beacon Hills and scoop you up. You came here all on your own before I could even plan to do that. And of course I remembered you from Beacon Hills. It's hard to forget this face." She says, reaching up and touching my cheek. I snap my fangs at her best I can. She chuckles and drops her hand back into her lap. "You made it _so_ easy pussycat."

"We needed a holiday..didn't exactly expect _this_." I say, slightly sarcastic. She smirks.

"Well, what can I say? We had to throw a welcome party for our supernatural guests." She says. "Now. I'm growing _very_ tired of this game. I know you know who we want. Your friend over there isn't looking too good." I look over at Erica. I don't think she's coping like I am, I think she's really hurt. "Tell me what I want to know before I send the nest in." She warns me. I turn back to her, confusion written all over my face.

"Nest?" I ask.

"Oh honey, you really don't know what you've stepped into, do you?" She chuckles. "They call us the Aimovoria family. Do you know what that means?"

"No, but I have a feeling i'm not going to like it." I sigh. She chuckles again.

"I like you, I do. I see what Derek sees in you." She says. I growl under my breath but she ignores it. "It's Greek sweetie, it means blood-lust."

"Wait.." I say. Nest? Blood lust? The blood.. Oh god no.. "Vampires." I realise. That's why they smelt but I couldn't detect it, i've never encountered vampires before. To be honest, I wasn't even sure they existed..well, until now.

"The whole package-you've got brains too." She praises me. She blinks and her pale grey eyes now glow white. Her lips curl up and I see the fangs now replacing her teeth. She blinks and shifts back to normal. Oh my god. I really don't know how we're going to get out of this this time. "The whole family's here. My big brother, my big sister, a cousin or 2, it's a big ol' family reunion out there. You know, for your welcome party? And you see, you've both been in here bleeding all over the floor. That smell.." She inhales deeply, smiling happily. "You see where i'm going with this?" She asks me. I nod slowly, understanding perfectly. "Now, Cora, she took my parents from me. It's simple revenge. She attracted the hunters, but instead of catching her, they found my mother and father. And you wanna know what they did to them? What they should have done to Cora instead? They ripped her heads off like _wild animals_. How would you feel if someone ripped your parents' heads off?" She asks me. I tense up at the idea of Mom getting hurt or put in danger again. "Oh no, that's right, Daddy's not around, is he?"

"Shut up." I say.

"So maybe, Mommy and your little brothers. Mmm, I can imagine what they would taste like. Little Tyler-"

"Shut your mouth!" I snap, trying to break free of the chains. She flies up out of the chair, grabbing my face in her hand roughly. I try to pull away as she crushes me.

"S-stop!" Erica yells. The woman's vampire fangs come out and she hisses in my face.

"Watch the way you talk to me, or i'll kill you right here." She threatens me.

"No, you won't. You need us if you wanna get to Cora." I say, meeting her eyes evenly. If we can't escape, then i'm not going down without a fight, physical or mental, which ever I can do. She lets me go, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Like I said, I like you." She says, punching my chin feather-lightly like you would nudge your friend. "When we come back from our hunt, I expect answers. Or else your family can come collect your chewed up corpses. And then i'll kill them too. I'll kill _every_ single one of you that's remotely familiar with Cora Hale until I finally get her. She won't get away with it, she won't." She says, turning around and walking towards the door. She stops as she opens the door. She holds up a finger, waving it but not turning to me. "I have some bad news though Ashlee. My brother's always hated smart-mouths." She says before walking out. Before I can think over her words, a tall male comes to stand in the doorway.

"Let me guess? You're the big brother?" I ask as a horrible feeling settles in my gut. He smirks, bringing a knife out of his jacket. If these things are vampires then why the shock therapy? Why the knife? This is..this isn't good. My face falls when his fangs come out and he walks towards me.

..

"Big brother can be nasty." Natalie says, touching her fingers to the blood dribbling down my chin. She then touches the bite on the side of my neck, a big smile coming to her face. "I didn't give him permission to feed off you. Don't worry, i'll give him a time out." She chuckles, putting her fingers in her mouth, humming happily at the taste of my blood. "Mmm-mmm." She grins. "Tangy." She says. I cringe in disgust, trying to move as far away from her as I can in my restraints. Her brother cut me up a little, Erica too. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I didn't. So he feed off me. And _god_ , that _hurts_. "So. I'm gonna ask you again. Where is Cora Hale?" She asks.

"We-we don't know where Cora is." Erica says.

"See? She's honest." The woman says to me. "At least she can admit she knows who, we all know, you know."

"Yes, okay?" I sigh. "I know of the Hales-"

"You're sleeping with a Hale." She corrects me.

"Shut your mouth about him." I warn her.

"Testy subject?" She asks, raising an eyebrow when she knows she's poking at a sore spot for me. She stands up, walking to stand in front of Erica.

"Don't touch her!" I snap.

"It's okay. I just want to talk to her." She says. She looks at Erica. "So this is one of Derek's betas, huh? Pretty. I bet he likes keeping you around."

"It's not like that." Erica says. I clench my teeth. I know it's not like that between them but this woman is really getting on my nerves.

"A young, pretty thing like you. You think you owe him everything. You'd do _anything_ for him. Hmm. Perfect slut-"

"It's not like that!" Erica yells with a growl. I haven't seen that much life in her since before that captured us. "He's been l-like a father to me so _shut up_. You have no idea what you're talking about." She grounds out. Erica's own father just didn't give a damn. He gave her a fancy credit card and that's all he gave her. Derek's been a Dad to her, even if he doesn't realise, and she respects him alot for it.

"Wow. He's a touchy subject for the both of you." She says, moving to walk around the room with slow, deliberate steps. "He did disappear, well we can't find him now. And you two are here alone." She says, counting the facts on her fingers with a thoughtful face. She stops, turning to us. "Wait..did Derek walk out on his pack and his girlfriend?" She asks, smiling.

"He didn't walk out!" I yell. I pull at the chains around my wrists roughly, trying to get at her.

"Whoa. He did, didn't he?" She asks. "Ouch. I bet that hurt, huh? As far as we can tell, if he's off the grid and Cora is too then they must be together. Yes?" She asks. Erica and I don't say anything. "Okay, i'll just tell you the facts then." She shrugs. "He left his pack and his girlfriend for his sister. Oh, how noble." She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And if he left you, he obviously doesn't care about you otherwise he'd be here protecting his cat and his beta. And Cora's the reason you two are in this mess so why not just give them up? They've caused enough pain already. Just tell me where they are and we'll finish this for you. I'll have to get through Derek to get Cora anyway. So let us do this for you both." She says, almost sounding like she _actually_ believes she'd be doing us a favour.

"Let me tell you the 'facts', you stupid bitch." I ground out. She actually looks suprised by my agressively blunt words.

"Suprisingly _catty_." She says but I ignore her.

"I might be chained up now, but I will get out, trust me. And if you lay one flithy blood-sucking finger on Derek, or Cora, I promise you I _will_ kill you." I say lowly. "I'll hunt you down myself and rip your throat out, do you hear me?"

"You talk a big game McCall. I'd be careful if I were you, 'cause I can talk a big game too." She says, walking up to me.

"This isn't talk _sweetheart_. It's a promise. And I don't break my promises." I say, meeting her eyes firmly.

"Well.." She sighs. "I guess i'm just gonna have to kill you then. And then your mother and your brothers, blah, blah, skin the flesh off their bones, blah." She says flippantly, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, we'll see how far you get." I say, yanking at the chains again.

"How about you Erica? Are you gonna talk? Tell me where your 'Daddy' is? Where him and Cora ran off too?" She asks Erica. Erica clenches her jaw and shakes her head. "I'm disappointed, really, I am." She says, almost sounding sincere. "I wasted valued time with you two. I really thought you didn't take those beatings for nothing, I feel kind of bad." She says but I know she couldn't care less about us. "I'll see you soon." She smiles, leaving the room with no other explaination or anything.

"Erica? Erica, you still with me?" I say, turning best I can to look at her. She nods weakly. My eyes fall to the puddle of blood underneth her and I know she's not holding up. "Hey, hold on, i'm gonna get us out of here." I assure her. She nods, blood still dripping down her front from the cut along her chest. I look around the room and at our chains, trying to come up with a way to get us out of here, Erica out of here at least.

..

..

 **Poor Erica :( Of course it wasn't Kate, she sucks :P And now we know what happened with Cora. That links up to chapter 45 I did about Cora's life in South America. How the hunters came for her because she was living amongest humans but were distrated by another family. It was the Aimovoria family and that's how Cora 'got her parents killed' in Natalie's eyes! Favourite, follow and review!**


	49. Reaching Out

**You guys finally get some Derek vs Jack :P I just have to say, I really,** _ **really**_ **appreciate all the love i'm getting for my season 3 spin! Thank you guys so much! Shout out to;**

 ***Serena Sterling-Oh! Talking to Tahlia..maybe, I never thought of that one :) He's already come home in this fic but it could still happen, i'll think about it, thanks :)**

 ***DHSB1103-It's okay, read and review whenever you can, I appreciate the support either way :) I'm so touched by the kind words, thanks :3**

 ***wildanimal1-Sitting on the edge of your brain, I like that :P Here's some more!**

 ***Tesla424-Thanks! Good, I like to keep my readers interested :D**

 **..**

 **Derek's p.o.v**

 _Erica and I are planning to stay longer, a couple more days. I'll be in touch. -Ash_

I sigh, reading that text again. I have to admit, part of me is mad. I can't deny that. Between being away from the pack and Ash and then having to stay in the same house as Cora, Nathan and _Jack_..i'm not the happiest person. Don't get me wrong, i'm happy Cora's found her own happiness and she's got a family. I am happy about that. But having to be around it and watch them together..it's different. It hurts in a sense, to see her be how she used to be with people that aren't _our_ family but it's also just plain..odd. I avoided being in the same room as Cora and Jack when I could. They're quite 'touchy-feely', not in an inappropriate way (i'd kill him if it was), but it's still odd to see. So I avoided seeing it. I did sit down with Jack, just Jack, and have a little talk with him.

 _"So." I say, looking at the man with hard eyes._

 _"So." He says, tapping his fingers on the wood of the table. I catch the scent of nervousness coming from the man._

 _"You're dating my sister. My 17 year old sister." I say, not once breaking eye contact with him._

 _"That's uh..that's right." He nods, keeping his eyes on mine as well._

 _"And you're 19." I add._

 _"That's also right." He nods again._

 _"Hmm." I say. I focus my hearing, just to double-check that we are actually alone. Cora's taken Nathan to school so we have a good 10-15 minutes alone together. I lean forward, tensing my shoulders in a way so he doesn't try anything stupid and knows i'm being 150% serious. "I'm gonna say this to you_ _ **one time**_ _." I say, holding up one finger. He nods, staying quiet and letting me talk. "If you_ _ **ever**_ _hurt my sister, if you so much as make her upset, i'm gonna kill you. Do you understand?" I say in a dead derious tone._

 _"Y-yeah, I understand." He says, swallowing loudly._

 _"I doubt she's kept her past a secret from you. So you know how far I would go to make sure she's okay, right?"_

 _"Yes." He nods._

 _"Okay. Good." I say, sitting back._

 _"I uh.." He starts. I look at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence that i'm suprised he even started. "I don't want to hurt her. I want her to be happy, with me and with Nathan. I would never intentionally hurt her." Jack tells me._

 _"Good." I nod, listening to his heartbeat. It's jumps in nervousness and maybe a little fear (good), but not when he says that. "Because if you did plan to intentionally hurt her, i'd plan to intentionally hunt you down and rip your throat out with my teeth." I say, bringing the alpha red into my eyes in shine in threat at him._

 _"There's no need for that because it's not going to happen so.." He says. I blink, letting my eyes become human green again._

 _"Well as long as we have that understanding then we're gonna get along fine." I say, letting the seriousness and protectiveness drop from my posture and voice._

 _"I'd like that." Jack says, smiling his little dorky smile. The dorky smile Cora adores. Argh, gross. "I know you're not exactly over the moon about us." He says, suprising me again._

 _"What gave it away?" I ask._

 _"The way you screw your face up every time we're remotely close." Jack says but he doesn't sound offended or even scared anymore, he sounds..sort of amused._

 _"Well..I can work on that." I say sheepishly because it is true. Cora just pinches me and chuckles, brushing it off._

 _"It's okay, i'm sure Cora was the same back in Beacon Hills with you and your girlfriend." He says. "Cora's told me about Ashlee, she sounds like a.."_

 _"A..?" I question, raising an eyebrow._

 _"I don't mean to offend you or her." He stresses. "She sounds lovely and I can tell she's very devoted to you, and her brother, and the pack-"_

 _"But?" I ask, hurrying him along. I'd like to hear what he has to say actually._

 _"From what Cora's said..she sounds like a..a handful." He says, watching my cautiously. I can't help the smile that comes to my face and the chuckle that leaves me lips. His nervous frown softens as he looks at me._

 _"She's not wrong. She's a few handfuls." I say honestly. "Very stubborn and hot-headed."_

 _"Like Cora?" He asks, a small smile coming to his lips as well. I chuckle again._

 _"Alot worse than Cora." I say._

 _"Wow." He says, imagining it._

 _"I know. But I love her so.." I trail off when I realise what I just said and who I just admitted that too. It falls quiet and I know Jack doesn't know what to say, hell, neither do I. Cora saves the day though, walking back into the house._

 _"Everything okay?" She asks, seeing us at the table together._

 _"Everything's fine." Jack assures her with a smile. Cora smiles back and drops a kiss to his head and for once, I don't screw my face up. I think i'm too caught up in my own head and what I just admitted to care anyway._

 _"Der, you okay?" Cora asks, looking at me in concern. I nod._

 _"I'm gonna go out for abit." I say, standing up. "I'll be back later."_

 _"Hey." Cora says, catching my arm as I try to walk past her. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asks me._

 _"Yeah." I nod. "I just need to do a couple things." I say._

 _"Okay, don't be too late. I'm cooking tonight."_

 _"I won't be." I say, giving her a small smile. I go out the door, grabbing my keys and getting into my car. I drive away, going anywhere and nowhere at the same time. I'm..i'm in love with Ash. I blow out a breath._ _ **I'm in love with Ash**_ _._

I pocket my phone and get out of the car. I grab my bag from the backseat, throwing it over my shoulder. I'm greeted by the receptionist and welcomed back to my building. I trudge up the stairs and pull open the heavy metal door. Boyd and Isaac look up at me, sitting on the couch.

"Derek." Isaac smiles, getting up with Boyd. I walk over to them, giving them handshakes.

"It's good to have you back." Comes Peter's voice as he walks out of the kitchen.

"Good to be back." I say.

"How is she? Cora, I mean." Boyd says.

"She's okay, she's happy." I tell them. "With her boyfriend and his little brother." I say. Peter's eyebrows shoot sky high.

"Excuse me?" He asks. " _Boyfriend_?"

"Yeah. _Love_." I nod.

"Hmm." Peter says, getting that same look I got when I first found out. "Well..at least she's happy, right?" He says.

"Yeah." I nod.

"Erica and Ash aren't back yet, they're gonna be a couple more days." Isaac says. I sigh, I was hoping noone would actually bring that up out-loud.

"He knows Isaac." Peter says.

"Oh..sorry." Isaac apologises.

"It's okay." I say. "I'm tired, i'm gonna get some sleep." I say, heading towards my room. None of them stop me or ask anymore questions and i'm thankful for that. I drop my bag to the ground and sit down on my bed. I sigh, rubbing my hands down my face. I really wish Ash and Erica were back. Ash, she..she promised she would be. I can't help but be a little mad but i'm trying not to be selfish. That's easier said than done though.

..

I'm asleep in bed when my phone rings. It rings throughout my whole skull and pisses me off so much. I've come home and I really hoped, I really thought, Ash would be home. That she would have come back and I could talk to her, face to face. I don't know. This seperation feels wrong, it tugs at my wolf in a way you can't imagine. I missed her so much while I was gone, not that i'd admit it out loud to anyone but her. But she text and said she'd be a couple more days. She promised to be here when I came back and now she's going to be a couple more days. A couple _more_ days. I sigh heavily. So that added to fact that i'm sleeping at the loft when I want to be in her bed with her at my side..I haven't been the happiest person since I arrived home earlier today. I've tried not to snap at anyone or get too annoyed..so i've stayed in bed. Maybe I could just sleep these 2 more days away? Is that stupid? It sounds stupid.

"What?" I answer my phone gruffly.

"It..it's nice t-to hear your v-voice too." Comes the slightly sarcastic reply. My eyes widen.

"Ash?" I ask.

"Hey D-Derek." She says.

"So you're staying another 2 days?" I ask her.

"N-no..they-they sent that." She says.

"Ash, what's wrong?" I ask, hearing pain and struggle in her voice.

"Me and..and Erica. We-we're in t-trouble." She says. "We n-need help." I shoot up in bed, already reaching for my shirt and keys.

"Tell me where you are." I say, pulling my jeans on with one hand.

"I..I don't know." She says. "A house I think..we-we can't get out. They took us. I think they're c-coming back, I have to g-go." She says.

"Ash, who? Who's coming back? Baby, where are you?" I ask her frantically. The pet name slips from my mouth so easily in the heat of the moment.

"The-the Aimovoria family." She says, starting to cough. That name's familiar, it makes my skin crawl. "They're v-vampires. Derek..i'm-i'm so sorry." She says, her voice cracking.

"Don't apologise and don't worry, i'm coming to get you and Erica." I say.

"They..they want Cora." She tells me. I find my heart leaps into my throat. They want my sister? I swallow thickly. "D-Derek, you have to-to find us. We're hurt..r-really hurt."

"I'm coming, just hold on, okay?" I say. Vampires? Something is _very_ wrong here. Aimovoria..why is that so familiar? "I'm gonna come find you both." I assure her.

"Please hurry..Erica's sl-slipping. I don't know how..how long we c-can keep this up." And the phone line goes dead. I stand there for a second, frozen on the spot. Then my wolf leaps into action.

"Peter!" I yell. The beta quickly shows his face, along wth the other betas, all sensing the urgency in my tone.

"Derek, what's going on?" Peter asks.

"Ash just called me. I don't know where she is but her and Erica are in trouble. We have to go after them." I say, heading for the door with determination and a gut-wrenching fear for my beta and my girlfriend's lives. And there's a distant but strong worry for Cora too. The 3 men quicky follow me out the door and to the Camaro.

..

..

 **At least Ash was able to reach out for help :) But..what happens when their captors find out they've called for help? I have to admit, grotchy Derek was fun to write :P And of course, protective Derek too. Favourite, follow and review!**

 ****IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! HELP ME OUT FOR A MINUTE!****

 **So..since this season i'm doing now is the last one for this fic, i've looked at drafting up new fics. As i've mentioned before, a Walking Dead style one but using Teen Wolf characters. That would bring in my OC Ashlee (but not as Scott's sister) and her little sister Ellie, both would be complete strangers going up with Scott's group during the apocalypse. It'd be about how they fit in and learn to trust a group again and be a family.**

 **Another, a Sons Of Anarchy style one but using Teen Wolf characters and everyone's still a wolf etc. Would include hunters, selling and running guns, maybe even some mountain ash sort of drug dealing like on the show. This one's not even started yet, just an idea. But i'd bring in my favourite OC, Ashlee McCall, this time as Scott's younger sister. She comes home to the club with a baby son. It'll be about family/pack but also a slow, but not too slow, burning Derek x Ashlee. I was thinking of bringing in how in the actual Sons Of Anarchy show, Jax's son Abel is kidnapped and taken to Belfast, how that could work in my fic with Ashlee and her son. Also, the crime and biker violence style isn't one i've gotten to write before, I think it would be interesting.**

 **And the last, this one just jumped at me. It's different to anything i've done, it brings in a whole new OC, Derek's little sister Jessie Hale. It'll be about her developing friendships with Stiles and Scott and maybe something a little more with Stiles. Will start at season 1 so you'll see how the younger Hale copes with losing her older sister and finding the alpha etc. _Might_ do season 2 as there's a interesting plotline having Derek and Scott not exactly on the same side that season, i'd like to see how Jessie would fit into that.**

 **Well, that's all I had to share with all you lovely people. Let me know which sound interesting or not, let me know which you'd personally read and which you think I should do. Thanks guys! :)**


	50. This Could Be The Last Time

**Really happy my readers are enjoying my twist :)**

 **Shout out to;**

 ***TheMorbidGal-I've definitely been working hard on the Derek's little sister one :) I'm playing around with p.o.v as well, deciding the try it in 3rd person and so far I like it :) I'll probably make a new fanfic account when I post that story but i'll be sure to let you know!**

 ***Bre-Mohaha, we'll see :P**

 ***Tesla424-Yay, glad you liked my ideas! But yes, this fic will end soon :( If you didn't read what I wrote to TheMorbidGal, i'll be making a new fanfic account when I start posting those new stories but i'll make sure you know where to go to find them :)**

 ***Serena Sterling-Thanks :)**

 ***wildanimal1-Thank you!**

 ***SimplyTxylor-It's okay, I appreciate it whenever you can :) I will go into the Aimivoria past :) So yes, we shall dance :P**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

"Please hurry..Erica's sl-slipping. I don't know how..how long we c-can keep this up." I say to Derek. I hear a click. There's no voice, beep or even dialtone from the other side. Just silence after that click. "D-Derek?" I call out. "Der?" I whisper hopefully.

"Aw pussycat." I drop the phone, backing away from the unfamiliar man smirking at me, now in the front door. "You really shouldn't have done that." He says, stepping forward. I take a step back.

"Let us go." I ground out, trying to stand tall but i'm just dizzy and I know how weak I am. And by the smirk on the man's face, he knows it too.

"Oh no sweetheart, we're not done having fun." He says. I turn to run but i'm caught by the throat, Natalie squeezing her hand around it until i'm suffocating. I claw at her hand, desperately trying to suck in air.

"Did kitty get out of her cage?" Natalie asks me, tilting her head to the side. I gasp for air, black spots dancing in my vision. I can only hold on for a couple more seconds before I pass out from a lack of oxygen.

..

 **Derek's p.o.v**

I get Scott on the phone on the way to his house. I make sure he's up. I get Stiles on the phone too, giving him the cell number so he and his Dad can trace the text. When I get out of the car, i'm meet at the front door by Melissa, John, Scott and Stiles. They let all of us in, all gathering at the dining table.

"What'd she say to you?" Scott asks, hands shaking. Melissa puts her's over his and looks at me for an answer as well.

"She said she might be in a house, I don't know where. Her and Erica are hurt. She mentioned the family name, Aimovoria, Ash..Ash said they're vampires." I tell them. Scott's face falls. I decide to keep the part about Cora out. I don't want to stress them more than they already are. I need to get in contact with Cora myself and make sure she's safe from this end. And it's not just that, Jack and Nathan are there too, and they're innocent. Nathan's just a kid, he's not even 9 yet. I have a responsibility to look out for them too now, they're Cora's family so now they're my family too.

"Your mother knew of this family." Peter says, looking at me. "Aimovoria is the Greek translation of blood-lust. I'm sorry, but they're definitely vampires." He confirms. I sigh, that's why the name was so skin-crawlingly familiar.

"V-vampires exsist?" Melissa asks, looking at Peter and I. Her and John are new to this. I don't blame her for being fearful. "And-and they have Ash and Erica?" She asks, the panic and orry clear in her voice.

"Yes." I say, rubbing a hand down my face. Tears comes to woman's eyes and she turns away so we don't see them fall. Scott stands there, in a state of shock.

"Derek, what do we do?" Stiles asks.

"Not we." I shake my head. "If my mother knew this family, maybe they'll listen to Peter and I once they realise who we are. But we can't barge in their with a pack of wolves-"

"You can't expect us to stand back either." Boyd speaks up. "That's Ash and Erica were talking about. We have to save them"

"You think I don't know that?" I snap at the beta.

"Hey." Peter says, touching a hand to my shoulder. I take a calming breath, shooting Boyd an apologetic look.

"Listen to me, these are far more dangerous than you think. If I take you in there, they'll kill you. And probably them too." I stress.

"But-" Stiles tries.

"Derek's right." Scott says. I look at him, suprised. "I uh..Allison and I have been going through Gerard's besitary. From what i've read and what Gerard saw..they're nasty."

"They are." I assure him. "Peter and I will go. Right?" I ask, looking at Peter.

"Yeah." He nods. "Of course."

"All of you need to stay here and let Peter and I handle this. Isaac, Boyd, that means you as well." I say, looking at my betas. Boyd opens his mouth to object so I flash my eyes red at the two teenagers, reminding them i'm the alpha. They sigh and nod, backing down.

"We're coming." Stiles says, motioning between him and Scott.

"No Stiles, _i'm_ going." Scott says, looking at his best friend.

"No, i'm not staying back, not when Ash is out there Scott-"

"Neither of you are coming." I cut them off. "It's too dangerous. I'll bring your sister back, I promise."

"No, i'm not sitting this one out. Not this time Derek. I am coming." Scott says.

"Scott-"

"Don't use that alpha crap on me!" He says loudly. "That's my sister, i'm coming weither you like it or not!" I understand Scott's defensive protectiveness. I feel the same way about Cora, i'm having an internal panic over her safety as we speak.

"Scott, just calm-" Melissa tries.

I can't calm down!" He says, moving away from her. "She..she wouldn't even be over there if you wouldn't have taken off." He says, looking at me.

"Scott, you know that's wrong-" Melissa tries to correct her son's thinking.

"No. You can not blame Derek-" Peter tries to demand. I step out in front of them so i'm in front of Scott.

"I know I screwed up by walking out on her and the rest of you so suddenly, okay? I know that. I was just trying to help Cora. But I _never_ planned to not come back, and she knew that. She knew i'd come back to her." I say, looking right at Scott. "Listen, we can argue all you want in the car, you can yell or do whatever but if you're coming we need to go right now." I say. There's no point in fighting. Scott would do anything for Ash. That includes coming after Peter and I. He's safer in the same car as us than chasing after us half-cocked by himself.

"I can come?" Scott asks, suprised. I nod. "Just..give me a second." He says. Peter and I step back, letting Scott throw a bag together and say goodbye to his family.

"You're gonna bring her back, right?" Melissa asks him. "And you're gonna be okay?"

"Yeah Mom, I promise." Scott assures her. "Listen, uh..tell Tyler I love him and i'll be home soon, alright?" Melissa nods, tearing up at the subtle goodbye. He must have done his research on them because he's nervous. He should be. They can be vicious. But when a wolf is pushed to it's limit, we're worse. And if they've hurt Ash and Erica badly like Ash sounded, I don't see the 3 of us being all that calm. Even though that's the exact approach we need to take. And that's also why I wanted just Peter and I to go. But Scott's stubborn, exactly like Ash is. He rides with us or he rides alone..the second one isn't an option. Noone in this pack rides alone anymore. "And if Allison calls..you tell her I love her as well. And Lydia too. Hell, even Chris." The mother and son hug tightly. Then he's hugging Stiles and John. It's actually saddening. It's saddening because he's saying goodbye..just in case. Scott walks over to us.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask him. He nods.

"She's my sister, I have too. And for Erica too." Scott says. "And that's why I need to apologise, I didn't mean what I said. She didn't run because of you, I know that. You chose family, just like any of us would." He says. "I'm sorry." Everyone watches Scott with soft eyes. And then they're watching me for my reply.

"Let's just find them." I say, giving him a nod. He nods back.

"Derek." I turn to Melissa. "Keep each other safe."

"And bring them home." John adds. I nod.

"I will. I promise." I say. "Stiles, run a trace and send me through an address and-"

"Anything I can find, I will." He assures me.

"Thank you." I say. "Let's go then." I say, heading to the door. I stop, turning back to Melissa. "Tell Tyler I promise to bring his sister home." Melissa nods, tears building in her eyes again. "And tell him I.."

"I will." She nods, already knowing how I feel about the young boy.

"You watch out for them, all of them. Call me if anything happens and be careful." I tell my betas.

"We will." Boyd nods. I squeeze both of their shoulders before the 3 of us get into the Camaro. We spare the pack, our _family_ , one more glance before I pull out of the McCall driveway..possibly for the last time. I don't know what's going to happen when we get to them. I don't know what we're going to find. But I do know, weither they're powerful vampires or not, i'm going to kill any one of them that touched my girl and my beta. And if anyone has even thought of going after Cora..i'll kill them too. I'll kill anyone that hurts my family.

..

..

 **Shit is getting real! Favourite, follow and review!**


	51. Chapter 51

**So..I promised new work, and that's exactly what I've done! I just need one little thing from my amazing readers. I made a second account, my own reasons and other writing reasons, but it's called 'IGotTheWanderingMind'. If you go follow that account, that is me as well, it's where i'll be posting any new work from now on aside stories i've alreayd got up on this account. I'm putting up a new fic called 'Ruin. Retribution. Redemption.', it's my Stiles x OC (Derek's little sister) one set in Season 1 that quite a few of you were interested in. The Walking Dead AU one I talked about for while is in the works too, as well as** _ **maybe**_ **Sons Of Anarchy one, depending one weither you want that or not (Do you?), maybe a human AU for that one too? I'm not sure, I haven't really seen that show before but I've been open to suggestions and after PM some readers and writiers, that show came up and I was willing to try it. And for awhile I was working on another fic where Scott's older sister, Ashlee McCall my beloved OC, returns home and moves into Derek's loft/house with Isaac. But that one..I'm not so sure about.**

 **So, let me know which you like and don't like or would read.**

 **And, go find and follow my new account!**

 **I hope to hear from you soon!**

 **Tattoos-Make-Me-Happy xo**


	52. Old Traditions

**Shout out to;**

 ***SimplyTxylor-Hehe! I love that thing about the pinky fingers :P And thank you, that means alot :)**

 ***Serena Sterling-Thanks!**

 ***Bre-Update's here!**

 ***wildanimal1-I know :( But I have more fics coming, i've got a new one up on my second account 'IGotTheWanderingMind' if you want to check it out :)**

 ***Bre-I like the Ash moving in one too. I'm now focusing attention on the TWD one :) The SOA one..I don't know either, I might put that one on hold for now. I made my own OC, Jessie Blake Hale, for Derek's younger sister. She's not a wolf, she's human but the others are still werewolves. Go check it out on my other account!**

 **..**

 **Cora's p.o.v**

I groan as my phone ringing loudly wakes me up.

"Who's calling?" Jack mumbles sleepily, his arms tightening around my waist.

"I don't know." I mutter, reaching blindy for my phone on the bedside table. I manage to grasp it and bring it to where I can read the caller ID. I frown in confusion when I see my brother's name flashing at me. I answer it, bringing the phone to my ear. "Derek, what the hell? It's really late." I say tiredly.

"Thank god you're okay." He sighs in relief.

"What? Why wouldn't I be okay?" I ask him, groaning tiredly. "Seriously Derek, Jack's not-"

"That's not what I mean." He cuts me off. Jack opens his eyes, looking at me with raised eyebrows upon hearing his name. I wave him off, telling him it's fine. He shuts his eyes again and nuzzles back into my side. I smile, taming his bed-ridden hair. "Cora, the Aimovoria family, a pack of vampires, are after you." Derek says. My hand in Jack's hair stops and I pause.

"What?" I ask, suddenly wide awake.

"I can't explain right now but they have Ash and Erica, I think they're using them for information-"

"They're hurting them to find me?" I ask. Jack opens his eyes again, looking at me in concern.

"I..we-we don't know that." Derek says.

"You're a shitty liar." I sigh sadly. "I'm so sorry Derek. I don't know who these people are, i'm sorry about Ash-"

"Just take Jack and Nathan and go to your safeplace." Derek cuts me off. I can hear the hurt and worry in his voice and it breaks my heart. I don't know why vampires would be after me, but I do know they're willing to play dirty and hurt the pack to get to me.

"No, Derek, I should come-"

"Don't you dare." He cuts me off, voice becoming shockingly serious. "Get somewhere safe and stay put. Peter, Scott and I are gonna deal with this."

"Derek..you know what vampires are like. If they want me, they will do _anything_ to those girls to get to me." I say. Jack sits up, looking at me desperately for an explanation. "I don't know what they want but i'm not gonna run and hide while you 5 take them on."

"Don't come Cora, don't." Derek says. "What they have planned for you will be worse."

"And if they kill Ash and Erica?" I ask him.

"Don't say that." He warns me. "I'm going after them, they're gonna be fine. I rang to warn you, not ask for help. Get to a safe place with Jack and Nathan and stay there until I say otherwise." He says in an alpha tone. "Do you understand?" He asks me. I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I understand." I nod reluctantly.

"I don't care what you did or didn't do to these people Cora, I can't lose you. I need you to be safe. They'll pay for whatever they've done to Ash and Erica, _trust me_." He assures me.

"Call me when you can, and please.. _please_ get out there alive. All of you." I plead.

"We will." He says determinedly. "Now go, pack bags and go, now."

"Okay." I say, getting out of bed, Jack following my actions, still waiting for me to let him know what's happening as he starts to look more and more concerned.

"I have to go. Bye Cora."

"Be safe Derek." I say in farewell before we both hang up. I look to Jack with tear-filled eyes. He quickly comes over to me, taking my face in his hands.

"Cor, what happened?" He asks me.

"We..we have to run." I tell him.

..

 **Derek's p.o.v**

"Why are they after Cora then?" Scott asks from the backseat.

"I don't know." I tell him. "She doesn't know, she doesn't even know who these people are." I say.

"You think they're torturing them for info on Cora?" Scott asks in a fearful voice. I stay quiet, not wanting to think about it because I know that's almost exactly what'll be happening. I know it. Deep down, I knew I should have walked away from Ash the moment I started to have feelings for her. Anyone that gets caught up with me or my family..they end up hurt, or worse. It happened with Scott, Ash, Stiles and Allison with Peter when he was the alpha. It happened with the pack with Gerard after Peter killed Kate. It's happening right now because of something these people think Cora did. I don't blame my family, I don't, but maybe i've been selfish to let it _keep_ happening. I'm sure this won't be the last time. Maybe next time it's my fault? Maybe next time something bad happens, maybe someone doesn't make it? I couldn't live with that. It could be Tyler. It could be any of them. That doesn't sit well with me. Maybe..maybe staying in Beacon Hills, settling down here, was a bad idea. A selfish one. Because people I love have been hurt, and more are going to get hurt. The thought of losing Ash because of mine or my family's decisions..I can't. I can't lose her, she means far too much to me. "Who are these vampires?" Scott asks another question after getting no answer for his last one.

"Scott.." I sigh. He doesn't want to know. I don't really remember but from what Peter's said and the look on his face when I said the name..it's not good.

"I need to know." Scott says. He turns to Peter. "Tell me who they are." He says. Peter sighs and I know he's going to talk.

"The Aimovoria family are one the most feared vampire families." Peter starts. I bite the inside of my cheek, refusing to look anywhere other than the road while trying to block out my Uncle's voice. "For the last couple hundred years, it's been lead by Natalie and Matt Aimovoria, they're the head of the family. Natalie's great, great grandfather was an original." Peter says.

"An original? What does that mean?" Scott asks.

"One of the first vampires ever created." I bite out, blinking away the tears _attempting_ to form in my eyes. I hear Scott swallow thickly out of fear for his sister's life.

"They're a very powerful family. And they're vicious." Peter goes on. "Tahlia, Derek's mother and my sister-" I feel my chest tighten at those words. "-she knew Natalie and she _never_ , not even once, spoke highly of her. In fact, she referred to their entire race as 'scum'." Peter says.

"What are they gonna do to them?" Scott asks. "I mean..they are vampires, will they..?" Scott asks not able to say the word we all know he's meaning. _Eat_. Will they _eat_ them.

"I don't know." Peter says and even I hear the jump in his heartbeat.

"Don't lie to me." Scott says.

"It's better you don't know." Peter says quietly. Scott grabs his arm.

"Tell me. She's my sister and Erica's my friend. I need to know, tell me." He says. Peter swallows loudly and nods.

"They practice old traditions.." Peter says.

"Which means?" Scott asks.

"They..they torture their prey before they eat it." Peter struggles to say. I grip the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. Ash was definitely hurt when we talked on the phone. And she said Erica was slipping away. I don't think we have much time. And that makes me feel.. _wrong_. Every part of me feels wrong. I'm scared, and upset and angry and I _need_ to find them and save them before it's too late. I can't lose them, either one of them. I can't lose the girl i've fallen in love with. I can't lose the girl that become like a daughter, or a sister, to me either. I can't lose anyone else.

"Derek?" Scott says, and you can hear the tears in his voice.

"Yeah?" I say, my own voice coming close to the same.

"Drive faster." Scott says. I put my foot to the floor, the Camaro roaring loudly as we fly along the empty night roads.

..

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I wake up, back in my chains. I lift my head and i'm met with a horrible head rush. I look around the room but there's 2 of everything and my breaths are laboured.

"Eri..Erica?" I call out weakly. I focus on her best I can. I see her chest rising and falling slowly. Thank god, she's still breathing. "Erica?" I call out louder. She stirs, eyes opening painfully. "I-I called Derek. H-he can find us. He's..he's gonna come get us. We're getting out of h-here, just hold on." I tell her before coughing, my throat feeling like sandpaper. I see the blood that drips from my lips and onto the concrete ground. Erica looks up at me, her face bruised heaviy and bleeding.

"You..you're g-getting out." She says in a stuttered, weakened, quiet whisper. She's barely holding on.

"No. We-we both are." I say. "I'm not leaving you behind." I tell her.

"I'm..done." She breaths out.

"No, you're not." I say. "Don't t-talk like that." I say as firmly as I can. "You _hold on_. Understand?" I order.

"I'll try my b-best." She says, giving me a hint of a smile. Derek, please, find us.

..

..

 **It's not looking good for Erica at all :( I just realised how very 'Twilight' this will be, vampires vs werewolves. It's a classic though. I know not much happened with the girls but Derek, Scott and Peter are on their way! Favourite, follow and review! PS-If you haven't already, go and find my second account 'IGotTheWanderingMind', it's where i'm posting my new stories, the Stiles x OC (Derek's younger sister Jessie) is already up and being updated so go check that out! I hope to have the TWD style one up soon as well!**


	53. Fading

**Shout out to:**

 ***Serena Sterling-They plan to, but not just yet! :)**

 ***wildanimal1-Sorry XD Here's the update!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I try to bite back my grunts and cries of pain as i'm slashed at for the _millionth_ time.

"Just stop, _please_." I plead desperately, tears in my eyes.

"Then tell me-" Another slash in my stomach. "What I-" Another to my ribs. "Want to-" Another to my cheek. "Know!" Natalie yells. "Where is Cora Hale?!" She yells. When I don't answer, the knife's plunged into my thigh and left there. I howl out in pain, trying so hard to push my jaguar out and rip out of these chains but it's no use. "You're a strong girl, i'll give you that." She says, stepping back. I glance over at Erica, she's just hanging there like she was the last time I checked.

"Is she..is she a-alive?" I ask worriedly, my voice raspy from a lack of water and from screaming in pain.

"She won't be for much longer if you two don't start talking." Natalie says. I look down, refusing to give up Cora's location. What happened with Natalie's parents..that wasn't Cora's fault. She didn't intentionally send them after her family. It was an accident, and not Cora's accident. It just happened. Cora doesn't deserve to be hunted because of that. And i'm not going to let Derek lose his sister either. She's too important to him.

 _And you aren't?_

That sneaky little voice in the back of my head says. I ignore it though. If it was between me and Cora..I wouldn't let him lose Cora.

 _And your family? What about them?_

I ignore the voice again. Selfish.

 _Give her up._

I grit my teeth. Not going to happen. I know i'm getting really weak because i'm trying to argue myself into giving her up to save myself. Even if I did that, which i'm _not_ going too, she'd probably kill us anyway. I don't really see a way out, at least my way Cora doesn't get hurt.

"Make this easy for yourselves, just tell me where the girl is. And I promise, you two can walk out of here alive." Natalie says, suprisingly calmly.

"Don't..don't say any-anything Ash." Erica says weakly.

"Don't be stupid about this Erica." Natalie says, setting Erica in her sights.

"You think we're gonna tell you anything?" Erica spits.

"Oh sweetie, you're not gonna have a choice." The woman smirks. She walks over to the battery and flicks the switch. From my toes to the top of my head-pain. Shocking pain. "Where are the Hales?" She asks, looking between us. Erica shakes her head frantically.

"We don't know!" I strain out in pain. She flicks the switch off again and we both slump forward, gasping for breath.

"I admire your loyalty, the both of you." She says, acting sounding sincere. "I can respect that. So you can see why I need Cora Hale. She took my parents from me. Now, I get to have my revenge." She says. "Tell me where she is."

"We don't know..where..where she is." I say, out of breath.

"I don't believe you." She says.

"Derek didn't tell me where they were going! The same as I didn't tell him where I was going! It's the truth!" I yell.

"Wow. Trouble in paradise?" She asks, sitting on the edge of the table and just looking at Erica and I with a smirk. "Hmm. What to do, what to do." Natalie says, walking around the room with a finger to her chin in thought. "Erica's not going to talk, the instinct to protect her alpha is too great. Because let's face it, to get to Cora, i'll probably have to get through Derek which would be easy enough-" I cut her off, growling lowly in protectiveness towards _my_ Derek. "And then there's you." She says, walking to stand in front of me. "The instinct to protect your mate's too strong, isn't it?" She asks me. I will admit, I did falter a little. My what? "Unless you don't know if he's your mate or not?" She guesses.

"Mates are a myth." I say.

"Not true. Matt and I are mates. Happily married for close to 100 years, amazing right?" She asks with a smile.

"I don't care." I growl.

"Too bad." She shrugs. "But the fact that you won't tell me where Derek is tells me he's your mate. And you won't give him up. Not easily anyway." She grins. "But it doesn't really matter anyway, you've made it easy for me, you've gone to my plan B." She says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her.

"I liked plan A. Torture you two, get their location then kill them both, but..you're obviously not going to talk." She says. I frown in confusion, what is she talking about. "Idiots, you've done exactly what I wanted." Natalie says. I frown even more, not liking where this is going. "This is what I wanted. I wanted Derek to come for you if I couldn't go after him and Cora myself. Now I can move on to him, torture him to find out where he's been hiding his little sister." She smirks. I tug at my chains roughly. I should have known it'd be some sort of set-up. But what was I supposed to do? I didn't know what to do, I thought she was going to kill us..we-we needed help. So I called for help, but I shouldn't of. Now they're going to hurt Derek. And that's on me. "But, i'm not done here just yet." She smirks, pointing between Erica and I. Then there's a rushing electrical pain through my whole body again. She turns it up higher and higher and I feel like my body's going to explode. I can't help the tears that are forced from my eyes from how much pain i'm in. I look at Erica and she looks like she can't take anymore.

"E-Erica! Ho-hold on." I manage to say.

"I-I c-can't." She says weakly. "I-I..i'm..s-sorry." She says and then she falls still. I struggle in my chains, screaming out in pain and worry for Erica. She's not moving. Not at all. Not even with the electricity corsing through her. That's not good, not at all.

I try to hold out but I can't. Eventually, everything slowly blurrs until it's black and i'm unconcious.

..

I wake up, cold and shivering. The room's white, so brightly white that it hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. My whole body hurts. At least i'm not bleeding out anymore. I can see the blood that's painted the tile wall behind me. It's my blood. My hands are covered with it. But it's not streaming from my body anymore so that's a good thing.

"Er-" I errupt into a coughing fit. I cover my mouth only to find i'm coughing up black blood. Not good. "Erica?!" I call out weakly. I try to stand, slipping in my own blood. I all but fall out of the bathtub i'm in, crashing onto the floor. I'm in a bathroom, a far too white bathroom. I'm about to call out to Erica again, but that's when I see it. I let out a loud scream, covering my eyes and face away from the horror as I burst into tears, scrambling up againist the wall to get as far away from her as I can.

..

..

 **Oh crap! Another cliffhanger :P Favourite, follow and review!**


	54. Saving And Avenging

**Sorry for taking so long, work and study is kicking my butt! Yes, this season is coming to an end as is this fic :( If you haven't already, check out my other account 'IGotTheWanderingMind' for my new fics! I must say, i'm proud of them and worked hard so I really hope you like them!**

 **Shout out to:**

 ***Tesla424-You're about to find out!**

 ***Bre-I know, i'm evil with my cliffhangers! Thanks :)**

 ***SimplyTxylor-I know!**

 ***Serena Sterling-I know, I know, I need to stop with the cliffhangers :P**

 ***Bre-Hmm..I have no idea sorry :/**

 **I just have to say a big thank you to every one of you supportive buggers! I love you all, there's so much postivity and love and support from you all and I really appreciate it all! I mean, look at that review count! I had no idea it'd get that high, thank you :) Think we could reach 300 by the time this fic finishes? :)**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

I scream, covering my mouth. I scramble away from her body, looking at it in horror.

There, Erica sits. Face sucked of all it's colour, her skin a pasty white. Her hair is frazzled, blonde sitting up in every direction. Bites along her neck, the blood long dried to her skin and clothes. Her throat is slit perfectly straight, it looks like that was the wound that finished her off. Her eyes are hollow and grey. _Dead_. She's dead.

I burst into tears, leaning my head againist the ground.

"No, no, no." I sob, shaking my head. "No, Erica?" My voice cracks and I sound as weak and broken as I feel. I'm so caught up in my tears, I don't hear the growling in the other room, the hissing, the slashing of flesh. "No, no, no. Erica..no." I cry.

The bathroom door is kicked open, the lock busting with it. Derek gets to me before Peter or Scott can.

"Ash, you okay? Ash?" Derek asks me, holding me tightly. But I can't speak, my throat is blocked with tears and grief. "Ashlee? Baby?" He asks, looking at me with worry and concern.

"Derek.." Peter says, seeing what's got me so wrapped up and drowning in emotion. He looks over at his Uncle, and his eyes fall to the body in the corner. I see the wind get knocked out of him when he sees his dead beta. He lets me go, moving over to Erica. Scott replaces his spot in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, Ash, don't look at her, just look at me, alright?" Scott says, holding her shoulders. I nod, starting to cry again. Scott pulls me close to him and hugs me tightly. I hug him back even tighter, squeezing my eyes shut so I don't have look at Erica or Derek or Peter. I don't think i'll ever be able to forget what Erica looks like right now, it's horrible.

"H-how..how did you..f-find me?" I manage to say.

"Stiles traced the phone you called from, got an address. We came as soon as we could." Scott tells me. "We took out 2 inside-"

"N-no, there's more." I panic. "We have to-to go." I stress. Peter and Derek turn to me. "There's a whole f-family, they're _all_ staying here." I say. "They're gonna c-come back, we have to leave." I stress. I don't think I could handle seeing any of them end up like Erica. Erica was hard enough..but losing my brother or one anyone else I really care about..I couldn't handle that, i'd break, i'd fall apart. I'd _die_ on the inside.

"Derek?" Peter asks him, looking at the alpha for direction.

"We need to go, _now_." He says. He lifts Erica into his arms, standing up. Scott nods and helps me to stand up.

"Can you walk?" Scott asks me. I nod and try, it causes alot of pain, but I grit my teeth and get through it. My pain is the least of our concerns right now. The three of us, and Erica in Derek's arms, move for the door.

"Derek?" I say, my voice broken and quiet. Derek stops, looking at me. "I'm so sorry..I tried.." I say, some tears falling. "I tried to..to save her." Derek looks at me sadly. He leans in and kisses my forehead.

"I know you did. And she knows too. You tried, it's okay." He says. I nod againist his forehead, trying not to completely burst into tears. "I love you Ashlee." He says. A small smile comes to Peter's face, he's happy Derek finally told her. Scott just kind of stills, unsure of what to say. I'm surprised by the confession but I know there's only one thing I can say.

"I love you too Derek." I say with a sad smile.

"Come on, let's go home." Derek says and I nod. We get out the door and I see the 2 vampires they killed. They're younger than any of the ones Erica and I saw. That also means they're probably weaker. We need to get the hell out of here before they come back-

"That was beautiful, really." Comes Natalie's voice. She comes in the front door, her husband at her side and, who i'm guessing is, her brother behind and another vampire behind them. Derek growls. "But you hurt my family, now i'm gonna kill your's." She says.

It happens so fast, Erica's laid down and i'm pulled the side. Then Scott, Peter and Derek are roaring, going after the 4 vampires, all with their fangs bared, ready to spill the blood of the other species, of their _enemies_.

Claws meet skin. Blood flies. Derek has gone after Natalie as she's the strongest and he's the alpha, they are the most evenly matched. Scott chooses to take on her husband, Matt, as his strength is the next top. Peter fights the two younger vampires by himself. I watch Matt's claws meet Scott's cheek. I watch Natalie stab her claws into Derek's side.

I can't just stand back and watch anymore.

It takes alot, it hurts alot, but I force myself to intervene. There's 4 vampires, and there was only 3 wolves fighting. I ram into the 4th vampire, ripping him away from Peter as the beta was trying to fight 2 at once.

The vampire easily gets the upper hand on me, attacking me, punch after punch. It makes me dizzier than I already am, _weaker_ than I already am. I lay on my back, pinned down, a vampire above me. I can hear the growling of the other wolves and the hissing of the other vampires.

"Ash?!" Scott yells, trying to get away from the vampire he's fighting. He can see i'm quickly losing. I panic when I see the vampire above me bares it's fangs and hiss right in my face. I howl in pain when pain when I feel those fangs comes down in a bite to the side of my neck. Derek sees this happen to _his_ girl. And he flips. The wolf roars, tearing right out of his clothes and dropping down onto 4 strong _paws_. There it is again, a _wolf_ instead of a man. The exact same angry black wolf from the beach with Gerard.

Derek feels that anger again, just like he did at the beach. He sees his family being hurt. He sees his beta laying on the floor dead in the corner. He sees his Uncle being attacked. he sees a man he loves like a brother being torn at for the sake of saving his sister and avenging Erica, because she meant alot to Scott too. He sees the girl he loves being bitten into, having her blood _stolen_ from her. And he snaps, he shifts easily into the large creature he truely is on the inside. He lets his wolf out. He lets his wolf take over.

The vampire currently sucking the life out of the me, looks up to see the huge black wolf. Scott's panicking, trying to rip away from the vampire he's fighting to get the pther vampire away from me. But when he sees Derek, in his wolf form, part of him feels better.

Derek lets out a painfully loud and furious roar. He lurches forward, leaping off four muscled paws to tear the vampire away from me. I cough, throwing my hands over the bite mark to my neck to slow the bleeding while it heals. It heals slowly because it's a ampire bite, but it will heal. Natalie gets distracted when she realises the wolf has taken down her younger brother. And she watches with sorrow as the wolf wraps his massive chops around the vampire's head and rips it off without a second thought. Derek's just so angry, it's not just this either. These vampires were trying to hurt his sister too, his human sister that got out of this life. There was no way he was letting them live, but after seeing them hurt his pack, his _family_..Derek knew they had to die bloody and painfully miserable.

Peter takes the distraction as an advantage and tackles Natalie to the ground. Peter holds her down, stabbing his claws into her throat and letting her blood stain their carpet. Derek takes out the other younger vampire as well, until it's just Matt. But Matt's with Scott and knows he couldn't beat Derek. I see what Matt's thinking, just by the way he looks at Scott.

"No!" I yell, scrambling to my feet. But both Peter and Derek are faster than me. Scott's like a little brother to the two Hales and they won't let him get hurt either. Derek bites down on Matt's left arm, holding him still. Peter grabs his right arm, helping restrain him. I limp over to Scott, finally feeling the skin on my neck start to rekindle and heal. Scott's about to kill the husband, the one he knows was part of hurting and torturing his sister. But he stops. Scott turns to me.

"You should finish this." He says. I feel weak, I don't even know if I could. "For Erica, and Cora, and for you as well." Scott says. "You should finish this." He says again. I think about it for a moment. I look after at Matt, looking into his evil, dark eyes.

I remember the way he sat back in that chair and shocked us.

I remember the way he smiled when Natalie cut us and hit us.

I remember when he took part in beating us.

I remember when Erica begged for mercy and he only turned the dial up and made her cry out in pain.

And out of everything, when I look at him, I see the man that haelped murder my pack sister and then was going to try kill me, my family and then go after Cora and her family too.

I didn't even realise i'd walked over to the man until i'm holding him by the throat. I'm weak but the pain and hurt I feel, the _adrenaline_ , it shines through and helps me hold out for a few moments. I flick out my claws on my other hand. I let his throat go to push my chin up so he's baring his neck to me.

"This is what she felt." I say before slowly sinking my claws deep into his neck and dragging it across his throat. There's alot of blood and he squirms and yelps in pain but I don't care. I watch, just like he did to Erica, as he hurts and bleeds and then after a couple minutes..dies. Derek and Peter let his dead body fall to the ground after that. He slumps to the floor alongsie his _poisonous_ and _torturous_ family members. I feel weak again, and sore. I lean againist the wall, sliding down it until I sit on the floor. I look at all the bodies and then at my family. My eyes finally fall to Erica again and it only takes seconds for me to start crying.

Derek hears and looks over at me. He walks over and sits down beside me, settling his large wolf head againist my chest. My jaguar feels comfort from having him so close like this, especially in my time of emotional turmoil. I grip his fur and let myself be as close to him as I possibly can as I continue to cry. Erica was as important to me as she was to Derek, she was actually more important to Derek, he had a stronger wolf connection with her, beta to alpha. Scott goes to his sister's side as well. He hugs her close, letting Derek help comfort me too. Peter goes to Erica, lifting the poor young girl into his arms.

"Come on Ash, let's go home to our family." Scott says to me quietly. I sniff, letting both males go and nodding. I wipe my eyes and Scott helps me to stand up. We leave the house, the seemingly perfectly normal house on a perfectly normal street in a perfectly normal town in the country of Bali. The 5 of them. Me, weakened and bleeding but healing. Scott, standing strong and walking me walk. Peter, holding Erica in his arms, we're taking her home to be buried, like she would want. And Derek, still in his huge black wolf form, on the other side of me. We're leaving, we're putting this place behind us and we're going home, back to our family.

..

..

 **I tried to make it extra long for you all :) Not many chapters left, 2-3 at the most, just closing up this season. Thank you** _ **all**_ **again and let's try and get to 300 reviews before this fic finishes! :) Favourite, follow and review!**


	55. Amazing Grace

**Wow! Thanks for the amazing response to last chapter guys!**

 **Shout out to:**

 ***xBravex-Thanks :) I know, but thanks for that too!**

 ***nosferatufan-Thank you! I know :/ It's because all my new writing is 3rd person and I was getting mixed up :P I'll edit better but thanks for pointing that out!**

 ***Serena Sterling-I know, I know :,( It was just her time, she needed some peace. Thanks :)**

 ***Tesla424-I know :( But thank you, that's so sweet :)**

 ***wildanimal1- :)**

 ***Bre-I know :(**

 ***SimplyTxylor-I hate it too :P I'm sorry you sobbed..sort of :P No, really, I hope you're functioning again!**

 **I just want to say a huge thank you for the support and I know, it sucks i'm finishing this up but it's best this way :) And of course, RIP Erica!**

 **..**

 **Ashlee's p.o.v**

We drive home in the Camaro, because Scott, Peter and Derek came after me in it.

It's quiet as we drive, but that's understandable after everything that's happened in the past week. I lean my head againist the window, looking at the colours racing by as the sun starts to set and the darkness kicks it's way in. Derek's no longer a wolf, he's human again and dressed. He sits in the back with me, his hand on my knee gently. Peter drives and Scott sits in the passenger's seat. This is going to sound morbid, I don't really care, but Erica's carefully laid in the boot.

We weren't going to leave her there.

She's coming with us. She's coming home.

We're burying her at _home_. Beacon Hills.

I want to cry, mourn and grieve but honestly? I'm out of tears. I can't so much after the fight, after we'd won. I haven't cried like that in a _long_ time. I blow out a breath, filing through a thousand and one thoughts. Derek hears me and squeezes my knee softly. I put my hand over his, squeezing it back. I feel my eyes sting with tears and i'm surprised I can produce more. But hurt like this is rentless, that loss, that pain. For all I know, I could still cry buckets if I let myself.

"Come here." Derek says, using his grip to guide me towards him. I move closer to him until i'm curled up againist his chest and his arms around around me, cradling me close with protectiveness and comfort. "I love you." He says again. I look up at him with a weak smile.

"I love you too." I say. Scott and Peter both glance back at us but neither say anything. Scott does reach back and find my hand with his, squeezing it and rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. I let him hold my hand because it's helping comfort me as well as Derek's embrace is.

..

When you think of coming home, of having some kind of reunion, you think happiness, right? Smiles, laughter and all-round happiness? That's not what happened when we got home.

It took one look at us for the pack to know something was wrong. In fact, some of the wolves would have felt that connection snap when Erica died. Derek gets her out right away, not wanting to leave her in the back for too long. I have to look away from him and her because it's too saddening. Mom looks at me with apologetic features.

"Oh, baby." She says sadly, coming over to me. She takes my face into her hands and brings out foreheads together. I didn't think I could, but I start to cry again. I let her hold me, whisper comforting words. "I am _so_ sorry Ashlee."

"I know." I sob. "Me too."

"It's okay, everything's gonna be okay baby, I promise." She soothes me. The pack are greeting the others, seeing I need some time to calm down and see my family before hugging them all I see Tyler. I sniff back my tears for his sake and he runs over to me. I lift him up, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, I missed you so much baby." I say, trying to stop the tears from shining in my eyes where he can see them.

"I missed you too." Tyler says, hugging around my neck tightly.

"I love you Ty, you know that, right?"

"Yes. I love you too Ashy." He says. I smile even though I feel horrible on the inside. Tyler pulls back from the hug but I keep him in my arms as I approach the pack, accepting condolences and hugs from them. It's Boyd's hug that's the most heartbreaking.

"I..i'm really glad you're okay Ash." Boyd says and his voice is shaky with his own tears.

"I'm sorry Boyd." I whisper in his ear as I hug him. "I'm so sorry. I..I-I tried." I say, starting to get upset again.

"I know, it's okay." He says, rubbing a hand up and down my back softly.

"She loved you." I tell him, my voice breaking. Boyd pulls back to look at me with swimming eyes. "She did, only you know in what way, but she did love you." I say. Boyd smiles sadly, turnign away so he can wipe the tears from his eyes before they fall in front of everyone.

I hug Stiles and John tightly, reveling in the embrace of my extended family.

"Derek?" I pull back when I hear a familiar voice call out Derek's name. Cora swallows loudly from her position on the driveway. I glance at Derek because I know he would have told her to get the hell out of trouble's way with the vampires looking for her. And she didn't listen. Cora sees Erica and I can feel, practically _hear_ , her heart drop. "Oh my god." She says, putting a hand over her mouth. She runs over to her older brother, hugging him tightly but being careful of Erica. Derek finds a way to do both.

"You're safe now." He tells her. "I promise you, you're safe." He assures her.

"I'm sorry." She whispers, her own eyes tearing up.

"Don't apologise, this wasn't your fault." Derek tells her. Cora pulls back from Derek and looks over at me. She rushes over and hugs me too, whole-heartedly. I let Tyler down so I can hug her back properly.

"I'm so happy you're okay." She says sincerely, hugging me tightly. I nod.

"I'm glad you're okay too." I reply, biting back those pesky tears that keep trying to sneak up me. "What about your family?" I ask her, pulling back so I can look at her. "Are they safe?" I ask her.

"Yeah, they are." Cora nods. "And they're thankful, and they send their best wishes..to you both." She says the last part in a whisper, talking about me and Erica. I squeeze her shoulder and soon we're hugging again. I know it must be hard for her to be back here, and to blatantly disobey Derek too, but it's obvious that Cora needed to come all the way here for herself, not just for us. "I'm so glad Derek has you." She says in a quiet whisper that only my jaguar ears are meant to hear.

"Me too..I love him, so goddamn much." I tell her. I feel her smile and she hugs me tighter, me doing the same to her.

..

After being able to get cleaned up, shower and change, the pack stand in the woods together. We're huddled together, close, drawing comfort from each other as we all stand around Erica's grave. We wanted to do this for her right away, put her to rest as soon as we could. For her. Because she deserves it.

"I uh..I know it's corny but Erica really liked it." Lydia says. And she begins to sing.

 _Amazing Grace_

 _How sweet the sound_

Allison joins in with her, taking one of Lydia's hands in her own.

 _That saved a wretch like me_

 _I once was lost, but now am found_

 _Was blind, but now I see_

I start to sing too, looking at Scott to join in too. And he does.

 _'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear_

 _And grace my fears relieved_

A hand slips into mine and I look at Derek with a soft smile. When he sings as well, his voice comes out husky but smooth like honey at the same time. It's beautiful.

 _How precious did that grace appear_

 _The hour I first believed_

Mom and Cora pass around bonquets of violets, Boyd tell us it's Erica's favourite flower. We all sing now, kissing the flower and placing it over her grave one by one.

 _Through many dangers, toils and snares_

 _I have already come_

 _'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far_

 _And grace will lead me home_

 _The Lord has promised good to me_

 _His word my hope secures_

 _He will shield and portion be_

 _As long as life endures_

When it's my turn, I kiss the flower gently, placing it with the others' ones even gentler.

 _Yeah, when this flesh and heart shall fall_

 _And mortal life shall cease_

 _I shall possess within the veil_

 _A life of joy and peace_

 _When we've been there ten thousand years_

 _Bright shining as the sun_

 _We've no less days to sing God's praise_

 _Than when we've first begun_

When it falls quiet again, I kneel down beside the over-turned dirt.

"I love you sister." I say before standing again. Derek says his own goodbye. The other's follow suit, it's the last part of the ceremoney. I squeeze Derek's hand tightly and he squeezes him back. I have to say, i'm grateful there's no spiral with Erica, i'm glad that part is already done. So now? Now, this pack gets live a normal life. Well..as normal as Beacon Hills can get.

..

..

 **One more chapter? A look in the future? I don't know yet :) But I feel like I need one ore chapter to finish this fic up! Favourite, follow and review!**


	56. A Brighter Future

**Sorry it took so long but here's a little look into the future!**

 **Shout out to:**

 ***Serena Sterling: Something like that :)**

 ***TheMorbidGal: Thanks :)**

 ***wildanimal1: Aw, that's really nice :3**

 ***Ella: Thanks! Not for this fic, no. But, I do have a new fic that I've posted on my other account, I'll write more below about it :)**

 ***Tesla424: It's an amazing song, yes :)**

 ***susieqchristian02: Same, thanks :)**

Okay, so, if you like my writing, I've made a second account called ' **IGotTheWanderingMind** '. It's where I post all of my new things. I've got a new and completed fic that is Stiles x OC (Derek's little sister, Jessie), if you're interested in that.

But, as of now, my proud and joy is my new fic called ' **Inconsistent Misfortune** '. It's Derek x OC (Ash McCall) and also Stiles x OC (Jessie Hale). It doesn't follow the show, it follows a skinwalker plotline, inspired from the skinwalkers on 'Supernatural'. It focuses alot of family and personal issues as well. I have to say, this is my absolute favourite of the fics I've done, both writing it and reading it. It's a different style and everything, it's present tense 3rd person and I've tried my best with spelling errors so I hope if you do read it, you think it's a big improvement as well! But please, do give it a try, there's 6-7 chapters already posted and I'm updating every day, sometimes every second day, and I just love writing it so I'd love to see my lovely readers like too!

 **By the way, I'll be writing this chapter in 3rd person, it's my favourite way to write :)**

 **..**

 _A look into the future as a treat to my loyal, lovely readers :)_

"Jake!" Ashlee calls after the young boy as he takes off.

"I got him." Derek chuckles. "Here, stay with Ash, Ty." He says, putting Tyler down on the pinic blanket with Ashlee. The, now, 6 year old boy nods, listening to Derek.

Derek jogs after his 2 year old son, catching up to him easily.

"Hey." He says, lifting him up. Jake McCall-Hale looks up at his Dad with big green eyes, his thick black hair pushed out of his face. "You gotta listen to you Mom, Jake." He says as he now craddles the boy in his arms. "Or else she's gonna kick both of our asses." He says, walking back over to his girlfriend, and pack, his _family_. Jake laughs, having heard his mother yell that at Derek before during a fight. And maybe a slap, maybe a glass being broken too, but that part they make sure their baby boy doesn't see. But Derek certainly remembers it. A pregnant, emotionally unbalanced she-jaguar can slap _pretty_ goddamn hard. But that's just pregnancy hormones talking, oh, and Ashlee's temper, that might have a little to do with it too.

Cora smiles at her brother and her nephew, her own boyfriend, Jack, and boyfriend's brother, Nathan, sitting on the grass with her. Derek smiles back, bouncing his son, Jake, in his arms. Jake smiles at his father, his hands brushing over his stubble and then touching his eyebrows.

"Jakey, what are you doing?" Derek asks, turning to face his son.

"You're hairy." Jake tells him, pulling at his left eyebrow gently.

"Thanks." Derek chuckles. "One day, when you're a big boy, you'll be hairy too." He tells his son.

"I wanna..I w-wanna beard." Jake says.

"Good choice, buddy, chicks dig them." Derek says to his son with a soft smirk, remembering when Ash told him he liked his beard after Tyler pointed it out, when they were starting to explore the feelings they had for one another, when Derek first started sneaking in her window and staying the night.

"Babe, hand me the water?" Jack says to Cora. She reaches over and takes the bottle of water from the bag, handing it to him. Jack smiles at her and takes the top off, giving it to Nathan. "Here you go, buddy." He says to his brother. He looks up, seeing Cora's still looking at him. "What?" He asks her.

"I love you." She says to him. Jack smiles and leans forward, kissing her gently.

"I love you too, baby." He says before kissing her again.

Not far from them, Lydia and Stiles sit. Lydia pinches his sides making Stiles laugh louder and try to squirm away from her. But the redhead doesn't give up, liking the sound of his laughter as it fills her ears.

Allison sits across Scott's lap, his arms around her. They talk to each other quietly, having their own discussion as one of Scott's hands gently rubs across Allison's very small baby bump. He nuzzles his nose againist her cheek, making her giggle as they both smile at each other happily.

Peter stands with John, Melissa and Chris. The adults make conversation, mostly about their kids or family, but they're smiling.

When Derek puts Jake down by his mother and Tyler, he instantly starts to dig through the bag, looking for something to eat.

"Jesus, kid, do you ever stop eating?" Ashlee asks her son, watching him with a soft smile as he takes a far too big a bite from a filled roll.

"You know who he gets that from, right?" Derek asks her, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"You say me, and you're sleeping on the couch." Ashlee threatens playfully. Derek holds his hands up in surrender, knowing better than to provoke the 8-month pregnant werejaguar. Because that wouldn't be the first time he's slept on the couch, or she has. They've been through alot the past 4 years, ups, downs, but one thing will always be for certain-they love each other, they always will, they're _mates_ for life.

His hands come down to touch her large stomach, their next addition to their family, their next child, their _daughter_ , kicking from under his hands like she knows it's her Daddy.

"Rita's gonna be here soon." Derek says, looking up at Ashlee, talking about their daughter. They both picked the name the second they found out Ash was carrying a girl. Something about the name..it just stuck out to them both. Rita McCall-Hale. She's going to be beautiful, just like her Mom.

"Yeah, I know." Ashlee nods.

"We're running out of room in the loft, Ash. I think we need to go bigger." Derek says.

"Like how?" She asks him. Derek moves closer to her, taking both of her hands in both of his.

"Do you remember that house on the corner, the one that's just out of town? The brick one with the 4 bedrooms?" Derek asks her.

"Yeah, of course I do." Ashlee nods. "But we could never afford something like that." Ashlee says.

"I talked to Cora and Peter." He says. Ashlee looks at him in confusion, unsure where he's going with this. "I used some money out of our inheritance and went for a meeting yesturday with the owner. I uh..I brought the house, Ash. For us, for our kids." He tells her.

Ashlee's mouth falls open, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Wh-what?" She asks him.

"I brought it. We can move in anytime after Thursday next week." He tells her.

"Jesus." Ashlee says. "I mean..oh, my god." She says because that was _alot_ of money. It had quite abit of land, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a deck..it was not cheap.

But Derek had the money, and he loves Ashlee, he loves Jake, and he's going to love Rita, he already does. He wants the best for all of them, so he gave them the best he could.

"Jesus Christ, I love you, so goddamn much." Ashlee tells him, a smile coming to her face. She chuckles and pulls him into a hug. He hugs her back, careful not to bump her stomach.

"I love you too." He says, kissing her cheek. He pulls back, locking eyes with her. "There's one more thing." He says.

"What's that?" Ashlee asks him. He gets to his feet, and Ashlee is more confused than before. Derek stands up on the park table. "Derek?" Ashlee asks.

"I can get all of your's attention?" He says. All the eyes of the pack fall to their alpha, waiting for him to speak.

"Derek, what are you doing?" Ashlee asks him. But the alpha just smiles at her.

"Daddy?" Jake says, making grabby hands at him.

"It's okay, Jakey." Derek tells his son. He looks back up at the pack. He then looks down at Ashlee again. His hand digs into his leather jacket's pocket for something. And when that small black suede box comes out, everyone's eyes widen. "Ash.." He says, stepping down from the table to stand in front of her. It isn't until the alpha gets down on one knee right in front of her does Ashlee fully grasp what's happening.

"Oh, my god." Ashlee says, just looking at Derek with wide eyes as she covers her mouth with her hand.

"Ashlee McCall-" Derek says. He opens the box, revealing a _beautiful_ silver ring with a ruby cut into it instead of a diamond, because Derek knows Ash thinks diamonds are overrated anyway. "Will you marry me?" He asks her.

Everyone looks from Derek to Ash now, waiting for her answer, even though they already know what it's going to be.

Ash opens her mouth but nothing comes out. Instead, her eyes fill with tears and she nods quickly. Derek smiles warmly, warmer than any of them have even seen before. He gets to his feet, taking her hands and helping her to her feet. Ashlee is in tears as he slips the ring onto her left ringfinger. Their lips come together and the pack start to cheer and hoot, clapping loudly. Melissa's the loudest, happy and proud tears coming to her eyes.

Jake's feeling left out as he tugs at his Mom and Dad's pants. Derek scoops him up too, bringing him into their hug.

"Holy crap, Derek." Ash says as they hug each other tightly, the pack expressing their excitement and happiness for the couple loudly behind them.

"I told you, I love you, Ash. More than anything." Derek says to her. "You too, Jakey." He says, kissing his son's head then his _finacee_ 's lips.

..

..

 **Hopefully that was cute :3 If I can, I'll do anther future look but I'm not promising anything. Favourite! Follow! Review!**


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